The coprecipitation of transuranium elements (TRU) and technetium from alkaline solutions and from simulants of Hanford Site tank wastes has been studied in reducing and oxidizing conditions on uranium(IV,VI) hydroxocompounds, tetraalkylammonium perrhenate and perchlorate, and on hydroxides of Fe(III), Co(III), Mn(II), and Cr(III) using the method of appearing reagents (MAR). Coprecipitations in alkaline solution have been shown to give high decontamination factors (DF) at low content of carrier and in the presence of high salt concentrations. Uranium(IV) hydroxide in concentrations higher than 3 {times} 10{sup {minus}3} M coprecipitates Pu and Cm in any oxidation state from 0.2 to 4 M NaOH with DFs of 110 to 1000 and Np and Tc with DFs of 51 to 176. Technetium (VII) coprecipitates with (5 to 8) {times} 10{sup {minus}4} M tetrabutylammonium (TBA) perrhenate in 0.01 to 0.02 M TBA hydroxide from 0.5 to 1.5 M NaOH to give DFs of 150 to 200. Coprecipitations of Np and Pu with Co(OH){sub 3}, Fe(OH){sub 3}, Cr(OH){sub 3}, and Mn(OH){sub 2} obtained by the MAR from precursors in the range from pH 10.5 to 0.4 M NaOH give DFs from 80 to 400.

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A process is provided for solubilizing coprecipitated metals. Metals in waste streams are concentrated by treatment with an iron oxide coprecipitating agent. The coprecipitated metals are solubilized by contacting the coprecipitate with a bacterial culture of a Clostridium species ATCC 53464. The remobilized metals can then be recovered and recycled. 4 figs.

A process is provided for solubilizing coprecipitated metals. Metals in wastestreams are concentrated by treatment with an iron oxide coprecipitating agent. The coprecipitated metals are solubilized by contacting the coprecipitate with a bacterial culture of a Clostridium species ATCC 53464. The remobilized metals can then be recovered and recycled.

Behaviour between two materials in composite beam is assumed partially interact when longitudinal slip at its interfacial surfaces is considered. Commonly analysed by the mesh-based formulation, this study used meshless formulation known as ElementFree Galerkin (EFG) method in the beam partial interaction analysis, numerically. As meshless formulation implies that the problem domain is discretised only by nodes, the EFG method is based on Moving Least Square (MLS) approach for shape functions formulation with its weak form is developed using variational method. The essential boundary conditions are enforced by Langrange multipliers. The proposed EFG formulation gives comparable results, after been verified by analytical solution, thus signify its application in partial interaction problems. Based on numerical test results, the Cubic Spline and Quartic Spline weight functions yield better accuracy for the EFG formulation, compares to other proposed weight functions.

We investigate the formation of bioactive/inorganic coprecipitates of polyphenols catechins with calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. Extracted from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, green tea catechins are efficient free radical scavengers, but their purported benefits from the perspective of prevention, health, and nutritional physiology are accompanied by unpleasant organoleptic characteristics: they are notoriously bitter. Selective complexation of polyphenols with metal salts is a possibility to mask or inactivate bitterness and/or off-flavors. We produce such complexes using a continuous coprecipitation process. With excess calcium chloride present in the matrix we observe a correlation of the carbonate to total anions molar ratio with the catechin load. To characterize the composition and structure of the coprecipitates we combine elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectroscopy (LC/MS-MS). We quantify the release kinetics in different model environments to predict the behavior of the catechins from the coprecipitates in model media simulating the conditions during oral ingestion and storage. The dissolution data suggest that the release profile of these delivery systems can be influenced and fine-tuned via the anion composition of the mineral carrier. PMID:21736351

Fine strontium hexaferrite particles were prepared by lyophilization (known as freeze-drying) and coprecipitation of nitrates and chloride salts, respectively. The resulting powders were calcined at different temperatures between 700°C and 1100°C. As concluded from the measured hysteresis loops at 300 K, the freeze-dried hexaferrite showed good magnetic characteristics, the coercivity being as high as 5690 Oe. However, coprecipitated hexaferrite displayed poor coercivity values, around 1300 Oe at best.

Coprecipitation (CPT) is typically defined as the simultaneous removal of both the tracer and carrier constituents from an aqueous solution without regard to the specific mechanisms involved. CPT is potentially important to many environmental issues closely related to water resources, including acid mine drainage, radionuclide migration in fouled waste repositories, metal contaminant transport at industrial and defense sites, metal concentrations in aquatic systems, and wastewater treatment technology. The coprecipitation process may vary in each case and solid phase partitioning may be driven by surface adsorption, ion-exchange, surface precipitation, occlusion, and solid solution formation. Solid solution formation is a result of structural incorporation of the tracer into carrier structural sites resulting in a minor constituent in solid solution with the host phase possessing a solubility greatly reduced from that of its pure solid. Coprecipitation of Pb, Zn, Al, and As with ferric iron oxides has been or is being conducted in the laboratory. The coprecipitates have been examined by High Resolution Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy, while the bulk solution results are modeled as surface complexation, bulk precipitation, or amorphous solid solutions. Coprecipitation with iron oxides may be relevant to a fouled repository where steel containers corrode and transform into iron oxides. Additionally, the coprecipitation of radium with barite, which has relevance to both naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) associated with oil and gas production and nuclear waste repositories, is assessed and modeled. A general correlation is found among excess thermodynamic properties of binary solutions in the barite isostructural family, the volume mismatch between the two end-members, and the differences in the non-solvation contribution to the Gibbs free energy of formation of the substituting aqueous metal ions.

Using the complex variable moving least-squares (CVMLS) approximation, a complex variable element-free Galerkin (CVEFG) method for two-dimensional elastoplastic large deformation problems is presented. This meshless method has higher computational precision and efficiency because in the CVMLS approximation, the trial function of a two-dimensional problem is formed with a one-dimensional basis function. For two-dimensional elastoplastic large deformation problems, the Galerkin weak form is employed to obtain its equation system. The penalty method is used to impose essential boundary conditions. Then the corresponding formulae of the CVEFG method for two-dimensional elastoplastic large deformation problems are derived. In comparison with the conventional EFG method, our study shows that the CVEFG method has higher precision and efficiency. For illustration purpose, a few selected numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the advantages of the CVEFG method.

The aim of the paper is the development of an efficient numerical algorithm for the solution of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow problems with either fully insulating walls or partially insulating and partially conducting walls. Toward this, we first extend the influence domain of the shape function for the elementfree Galerkin (EFG) method to have arbitrary shape. When the influence factor approaches 1, we find that the EFG shape function almost has the Delta property at the node (i.e. the value of the EFG shape function of the node is nearly equal to 1 at the position of this node) as well as the property of slices in the influence domain of the node (i.e. the EFG shape function in the influence domain of the node is nearly constructed by different functions defined in different slices). Therefore, for MHD flow problems at high Hartmann numbers we follow the idea of the variational multiscale finite element method (VMFEM) to combine the EFG method with the variational multiscale (VM) method, namely the variational multiscale elementfree Galerkin (VMEFG) method is proposed. Subsequently, in order to validate the proposed method, we compare the obtained approximate solutions with the exact solutions for some problems where such exact solutions are known. Finally, several benchmark problems of MHD flows are simulated and the numerical results indicate that the VMEFG method is stable at moderate and high values of Hartmann number. Another important feature of this method is that the stabilization parameter has appeared naturally via the solution of the fine scale problem. Meanwhile, because this proposed method is a type of meshless method, it can avoid the need for meshing, a very demanding task for complicated geometry problems.

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the extent and nature of arsenic co-precipitation with green rusts and to examine the influence of arsenic incorporation on the mineralogy of formed solid phases. Stoichiometric green rusts were obtained by coprecipitation of fe...

An idea related to the calculation of stress intensity factors based on the standard appearance of the force-displacement curve is developed in this paper. The presented procedure predicts the shape of the graphics around the point under consideration form where indirectly the stress intensity factors are obtained. The numerical implementation of the new approach is achieved by using elementfree Galerkin method, which is a variant of meshless methods and requires only nodal data for a domain discretization without a finite element mesh. A MATLAB software code for two dimensional elasticity problems has been worked out, along with intrinsic basis enrichment for precise modelling of the singular stress field around the crack tip. One numerical example of a rectangular plate with different lengths of a symmetric edge crack is portrayed. The stress intensity factors obtained by the present numerical approach are compared with analytical solutions. The errors in the stress intensity factors for opening fracture mode I are less than 1% although the model mesh is relatively coarse.

By employing the improved moving least-square (IMLS) approximation, the improved element-free Galerkin (IEFG) method is presented for the unsteady Schrödinger equation. In the IEFG method, the two-dimensional (2D) trial function is approximated by the IMLS approximation, the variation method is used to obtain the discrete equations, and the essential boundary conditions are imposed by the penalty method. Because the number of coefficients in the IMLS approximation is less than in the moving least-square (MLS) approximation, fewer nodes are needed in the entire domain when the IMLS approximation is used than when the MLS approximation is adopted. Then the IEFG method has high computational efficiency and accuracy. Several numerical examples are given to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the IEFG method in this paper. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11171208), the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China (Grant No. LY15A020007), the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo City (Grant No. 2014A610028), and the K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, China.

Highly alkaline radioactive waste solutions originating from production of plutonium for military purposes are stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. The purification of alkaline solutions from neptunium and plutonium is important in the treatment and disposal of these wastes. This report describes scoping tests with sodium hydroxide solutions, where precipitation techniques were investigated to perform the separation. Hydroxides of iron (III), manganese (II), cobalt (II, III), and chromium (III); manganese (IV) oxide, and sodium uranate were investigated as carriers. The report describes the optimum conditions that were identified to precipitate these carriers homogeneously throughout the solution by reductive, hydrolytic, or catalytic decomposition of alkali-soluble precursor compounds by a technique called the Method of Appearing Reagents. The coprecipitation of pentavalent and hexavalent neptunium and plutonium was investigated for the candidate agents under optimum conditions and is described in this report along with the following results. Plutonium coprecipitated well with all tested materials except manganese (IV) oxide. Neptunium only coprecipitated well with uranate. The report presents a hypothesis to explain these behaviors. Further tests with more complex solution matrices must be performed.

Element-free method (EFM) has been applied to seismic modeling and migration. Compared with finite element method (FEM) and finite difference method (FDM), it is much cheaper and more flexible because only the information of the nodes and the boundary of the study area are required in computation. In the EFM, the number of Gauss points should be consistent with the number of model nodes; otherwise the accuracy of the intermediate coefficient matrices would be harmed. Thus when we increase the nodes of velocity model in order to obtain higher resolution, we find that the size of the computer's memory will be a bottleneck. The original EFM can deal with at most 81×81 nodes in the case of 2G memory, as tested by Jia and Hu (2006). In order to solve the problem of storage and computation efficiency, we propose a concept of Gauss points partition (GPP), and utilize the GPUs to improve the computation efficiency. Considering the characteristics of the Gaussian points, the GPP method doesn't influence the propagation of seismic wave in the velocity model. To overcome the time-consuming computation of the stiffness matrix (K) and the mass matrix (M), we also use the GPUs in our computation program. We employ the compressed sparse row (CSR) format to compress the intermediate sparse matrices and try to simplify the operations by solving the linear equations with the CULA Sparse's Conjugate Gradient (CG) solver instead of the linear sparse solver 'PARDISO'. It is observed that our strategy can significantly reduce the computational time of K and Mcompared with the algorithm based on CPU. The model tested is Marmousi model. The length of the model is 7425m and the depth is 2990m. We discretize the model with 595x298 nodes, 300x300 Gauss cells and 3x3 Gauss points in each cell. In contrast to the computational time of the conventional EFM, the GPUs-GPP approach can substantially improve the efficiency. The speedup ratio of time consumption of computing K, M is 120 and the

Iron(III) (hydr)oxides formed at extracellular biosurfaces or in the presence of exopolymeric substances of microbes and plants may significantly differ in their structural and physical properties from their inorganic counterparts. We synthesized ferrihydrite (Fh) in solutions containing acid polysaccharides [polygalacturonic acid (PGA), alginate, xanthan] and compared its properties with that of an abiotic reference by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, gas adsorption (N 2, CO 2), X-ray absorption spectroscopy, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, and electrophoretic mobility measurements. The coprecipitates formed contained up to 37 wt% polymer. Two-line Fh was the dominant mineral phase in all precipitates. The efficacy of polymers to precipitate Fh at neutral pH was higher for polymers with more carboxyl C (PGA ˜ alginate > xanthan). Pure Fh had a specific surface area of 300 m 2/g; coprecipitation of Fh with polymers reduced the detectable mineral surface area by up to 87%. Likewise, mineral micro- (<2 nm) and mesoporosity (2-10 nm) decreased by up to 85% with respect to pure Fh, indicative of a strong aggregation of Fh particles by polymers in freeze-dried state. C-1s STXM images showed the embedding of Fh particles in polymer matrices on the micrometer scale. Iron EXAFS spectroscopy revealed no significant changes in the local coordination of Fe(III) between pure Fh and Fh contained in PGA coprecipitates. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of coprecipitates confirmed Fh as dominant mineral phase with a slightly reduced particle size and crystallinity of coprecipitate-Fh compared to pure Fh and/or a limited magnetic super-exchange between Fh particles in the coprecipitates due to magnetic dilution by the polysaccharides. The pH iep of pure Fh in 0.01 M NaClO 4 was 7.1. In contrast, coprecipitates of PGA and alginate had a pH iep < 2. Considering the differences in specific surface area, porosity, and net charge between the coprecipitates and pure Fh

Iron(III) (hydr)oxides formed at extracellular biosurfaces or in the presence of exopolymeric substances of microbes and plants may significantly differ in their structural and physical properties from their inorganic counterparts. We synthesized ferrihydrite (Fh) in solutions containing acid polysaccharides [polygalacturonic acid (PGA), alginate, xanthan] and compared its properties with that of an abiotic reference by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, gas adsorption (N2, CO2), X-ray absorption spectroscopy, 57Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy, and electrophoretic mobility measurements. The coprecipitates formed contained up to 37 wt% polymer. Two-line Fh was the dominant mineral phase in all precipitates. The efficacy of polymers to precipitate Fh at neutral pH was higher for polymers with more carboxyl C (PGA {approx} alginate > xanthan). Pure Fh had a specific surface area of 300 m2/g; coprecipitation of Fh with polymers reduced the detectable mineral surface area by up to 87%. Likewise, mineral micro- (<2 nm) and mesoporosity (2-10 nm) decreased by up to 85% with respect to pure Fh, indicative of a strong aggregation of Fh particles by polymers in freeze-dried state. C-1s STXM images showed the embedding of Fh particles in polymer matrices on the micrometer scale. Iron EXAFS spectroscopy revealed no significant changes in the local coordination of Fe(III) between pure Fh and Fh contained in PGA coprecipitates. 57Fe Moessbauer spectra of coprecipitates confirmed Fh as dominant mineral phase with a slightly reduced particle size and crystallinity of coprecipitate-Fh compared to pure Fh and/or a limited magnetic super-exchange between Fh particles in the coprecipitates due to magnetic dilution by the polysaccharides. The pHiep of pure Fh in 0.01 M NaClO4 was 7.1. In contrast, coprecipitates of PGA and alginate had a pHiep < 2. Considering the differences in specific surface area, porosity, and net charge between the coprecipitates and pure Fh

To assess treatment technologies and establish regulatory framework for chromate-contaminated site remediation, it is imperative to know the exact chromium speciation in soil matrices. In an earlier study, Thornton and Amonette (1999) reported that some chromate in the bulk particles was not accessible to gaseous reductants or solution-phase extractants, based on XANES studies. We hypothesized that part of this non-extractable chromate may reside in the structure of minerals such as calcium carbonate. To test this hypothesis, a number of calcium carbonate precipitates were prepared in the presence of various concentrations of chromate during the precipitation, which could coprecipitate chromate, or by adding chromate after the precipitation was completed. Hydrochloric acid was used to dissolve calcium carbonate and therefore extract the coprecipitated and surface attached chromate. The results showed that the coprecipitated chromate was non-extractable by hot alkaline solution or phosphate buffer, but could be solubilized by HCl in proportional to the amount of calcium carbonate dissolved. The X-ray diffraction experiments revealed that the coprecipitation of chromate with calcium carbonate had an influence on its crystal structure: the higher the chromate concentration, the greater the ratio of vaterite to calcite.

A method of separation and preconcentration of cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc at trace level using 8-hydroxyquinoline as a chelating agent and lanthanum(III) as a carrier element is proposed. The heavy metals were determined after preconcentration by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results were compared with those obtained using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS). The influence of several parameters such as pH, amount of lanthanum(III) as a carrier element, amount of 8-hydroxyquinoline, duration of co-precipitation was examined. Moreover, effects of inorganic matrix on recovery of the determined elements were studied. The detection limits (DL) for ICP-OES were 0.31, 2.9, 1.4, 3.2 and 1.2 μg L(-1) for Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively, whereas for F-AAS DL were 0.63, 1.1, 3.2, 2.7 and 0.74 μg L(-1). The recovery of the method for the determined elements was better than 94% with relative standard deviation between 0.63% and 2.9%. The preconcentration factor was 60. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in plant materials. Accuracy of the proposed method was verified using certified reference material (NCS ZC85006 Tomato). PMID:24206710

Performance assessment (PA) of high-level waste (HLW) repositories needs to know real aqueous concentrations of key radionuclides under repository conditions for assuring the safety of the emplacement. The scarcity of these values under repository conditions leads to the use, in the PA studies, of the solubility of pure phases, which is a conservative assumption. Coprecipitation experiments are a very useful tool for giving realistic solubilities of key radionuclides. In this work, experimental data obtained from spent fuel (SF) and SIMFUEL coprecipitation tests under granite and saline conditions are presented. The experimental concentrations measured for several elements when equilibrium was achieved were much lower than expected considering only the solubility of pure phases. To explain this discrepancy, a tentative approach for modelling these experimental leaching and precipitation results of uranium, plutonium, americium, and strontium taking into account solid solution formations was made.

Organic phosphorus incorporated in calcite during laboratory precipitation experiments and in natural cave deposits was investigated by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. For calcite precipitated in the presence of organic phosphoesters of varying size and functionality, solid-state 31P{1H} CP/MAS NMR shows that the phosphoesters were incorporated intact into the solid. Systematic changes in the 31P NMR chemical shift of the phosphate group were observed between the solid phosphoester and that incorporated in the solid precipitate, yielding 31P NMR chemical shifts of the coprecipitates in the range of +1.8 to -2.2 ppm. These chemical shifts are distinct from that of similarly prepared calcite coprecipitated with inorganic phosphate, 3.5 ppm. Only minor changes were noted in the phosphoester 31P chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) which suggests no significant change in the local structure of the phosphate group, which is dominated by C-O-P bonding. Close spatial proximity of the organic phosphate group to calcite structural components was revealed by 31P/13C rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) experiments for coprecipitates prepared with 13C-labeled carbonate. All coprecipitates showed significant 31P dephasing effects upon 13C-irradiation, signaling atomic-scale proximity to carbonate carbon. The dephasing rate for smaller organophosphate molecules is similar to that observed for inorganic phosphate, whereas much slower dephasing was observed for larger molecules having long and/or bulky side-chains. This result suggests that small organic molecules can be tightly enclosed within the calcite structure, whereas significant structural disruption required to accommodate the larger organic molecules leads to longer phosphate-carbonate distances. Comparison of 31P NMR spectroscopic data from the synthetic coprecipitates with those from calcite moonmilk speleothems indicates that phosphorus occurs mainly as inorganic orthophosphate in the natural deposits, although small

A method for the determination of trace amounts of arsenic and tin in natural waters is described. Trace amounts of arsenic and tin were preconcentrated by coprecipitation with a Ni-ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) complex. The coprecipitates obtained were directly analyzed by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) using the Ni-APDC complex solid-sampling technique. The coprecipitation conditions used for the trace amounts of arsenic and tin in natural water were investigated in detail. It was found that arsenic and tin at sub-ng mL(-1) levels were both coprecipitated quantitatively by Ni(PDC)2 in the pH range 2-3. The concentration factors by coprecipitation reached approximately 40,000 when 2 mg nickel was added as a carrier element to 500 mL of the water sample. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of trace amounts of arsenic and tin in river water and seawater reference materials, and the detection limits for arsenic and tin, which were calculated from three times of the standard deviation of the procedural blanks, are 0.02 ng mL(-1) and 0.04 ng mL(-1), respectively, for 500-mL volumes of water sample. PMID:11569865

A preconcentration/separation system for cadmium(II), nickel(II), copper(II), lead(II), iron(II), cobalt(II), and manganese(II) ions has been established prior to their atomic absorption spectrometric determinations. The procedure is based on the co-precipitation of these ions by the aid of a praseodymium hydroxide (Pr(OH)3) precipitate. The precipitate was dissolved in 0.5 mL of concentrated HNO3, and made up to 10.0 mL with water. The analytes were determined by a flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The effects of analytical parameters including pH, amounts of praseodymium as carrier element, sample volume, etc. on the recoveries of heavy metals were investigated. The effects of matrix ions were also examined. The limits of detection for analyte ions were found in the range between 0.7-5.2 μg/L. The validation of this present procedure was verified by the analysis of certified reference materials, TMDA-54.4 (fortified water) and NIST 1570a (spinach leaves). The proposed co-precipitation procedure was applied for the determination of cadmium(II), nickel(II), copper(II), lead(II), iron(II), cobalt(II), and manganese(II) ions in various environmental water samples. PMID:27053469

The fraction of soil ZSr coprecipitated with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was determined by extraction into 0.1M hydrochloric acid (HCl)-0.5M potassium chloride (KCl) after an initial extraction with either 1M ammonium acetate (NH4OAc) or 1M KCl to remove soluble salts and exchangeable cations. This procedure was tested on soil samples supplemented with 85 g CaCO3/kg containing coprecipitated YVSr. A significant amount of both YVSr and Ca remained undissolved in this extractant but were subsequently removed by extraction with 8M HNO3. The extraction procedure was also applied to a group of 16 ZSr-contaminated soil and stream bed sediment samples. The amount of Cs + Mg extracted by 0.1M HCl-0.5M KCl, following KCl extraction, was well correlated with but slightly lower than the amounts expected for a complete dissolution of the CaCO3. Pre-extraction with NH4OAc, rather than KCl, dissolved significantly more CaCO3, resulting in a lower estimate of the soil CaCO3. Several soil samples, taken from a radioactive waste burial trench that had received sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) treatment injections, revealed that up to 98% of the total ZSr was observed in a CaCO3 phase. Untreated soils typically exhibited 80 to 95% of their ZSr in a cation exchangeable form, i.e., extractable by either NH4OAc or KCl.

The present study aims at investigation of copper removal from oil-field brine by coprecipitation process. The produced brine containing heavy metals is usually returned to the reservoir for water flooding or is discarded to the surroundings. Therefore, surface waters or underground waters may be polluted due to probable contact to these discarded waters. Removal experiments were carried out at room temperature in a bench-scale crystallizer equipped with a draft tube. In order to gain an insight into the influence of soluble compounds in the industrial natural brine on the precipitation process, some comparative experiments were performed both on a sample of natural brine and on a synthetic simulated brine in the absence of natural impurities. A metal removal practice by coprecipitation of copper through CaCO(3) precipitates induced by reaction of Na(2)CO(3) and CaCl(2) reduced the copper concentration (Cu(2+)) from 0.27 ppm in the synthetic brine to 0.06 ppm. This removal of 78% required only 1g of precipitate per 0.15 mg copper metal. Analysis of the experimental results suggested that about 5% of the copper removal from the synthetic brine was through the mechanism of incorporation into the crystal lattice, and around 95% was through the adsorption on the crystal faces. PMID:19157701

The characterization of synthetic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION) surfaces prior to functionalization is an essential step in the prediction of their successful functionalization, and in uncovering issues that may influence their selection as magnetically targeted drug delivery vehicles (prodrugs). Here, three differently functionalized magnetite (Fe3O4) SPIONs are considered. All were identically prepared by the alkaline coprecipitation of Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) salts. We use X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron microscopy, time-of-flight SIMS, FTIR spectroscopy and magnetic measurements to characterize their chemical, morphological and magnetic properties, in order to aid in determining how their surfaces differ from those prepared by Fe(CO)5 decomposition, which we have already studied, and in assessing their potential use as drug delivery carriers. PMID:26667269

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Radium occurs in flowback and produced waters from hydraulic fracturing for unconventional gas extraction along with high concentrations of barium and strontium and elevated salinity. Radium is often removed from this wastewater by co-precipitation with barium or other alkaline earth metals. The distribution equation for Ra in the precipitate is derived from the equilibrium of the lattice replacement reaction (inclusion) between the Ra(2+) ion and the carrier ions (e.g., Ba(2+) and Sr(2+)) in aqueous and solid phases and is often applied to describe the fate of radium in these systems. Although the theoretical distribution coefficient for Ra-SrSO4 (Kd = 237) is much larger than that for Ra-BaSO4 (Kd = 1.54), previous studies have focused on Ra-BaSO4 equilibrium. This study evaluates the equilibria and kinetics of co-precipitation reactions in Ra-Ba-SO4 and Ra-Sr-SO4 binary systems and the Ra-Ba-Sr-SO4 ternary system under varying ionic strength (IS) conditions that are representative of brines generated during unconventional gas extraction. Results show that radium removal generally follows the theoretical distribution law in binary systems and is enhanced in the Ra-Ba-SO4 system and restrained in the Ra-Sr-SO4 system by high IS. However, the experimental distribution coefficient (Kd') varies widely and cannot be accurately described by the distribution equation, which depends on IS, kinetics of carrier precipitation and does not account for radium removal by adsorption. Radium removal in the ternary system is controlled by the co-precipitation of Ra-Ba-SO4, which is attributed to the rapid BaSO4 nucleation rate and closer ionic radii of Ra(2+) with Ba(2+) than with Sr(2+). Carrier (i.e., barite) recycling during water treatment was shown to be effective in enhancing radium removal even after co-precipitation was completed. Calculations based on experimental results show that Ra levels in the precipitate generated in centralized waste treatment facilities far

A comparative study has been made of human precipitating and co-precipitating anti-tetanus toxin antibodies. IgG co-precipitating antibody represented 10% of the total antibodies in the serum and had immunological and biological properties similar to those described for co-precipitating antibodies of other animal species. Human precipitating and co-precipitating antibodies had the same electrophoretic mobility and were localized in the same immunoglobulin fraction. By immunoprecipitation it was not possible to find antigenic differences between precipitating and co-precipitating antibodies. Both antibodies were localized in the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses and neither were in the IgG4 subclass. Only the precipitating antibody can form insoluble complexes with antigen. Precipitating and co-precipitating antibodies agglutinated sensitized sheep red cells, however, only the precipitating antibody agglutinated human red cells. Eight to ten times more co-precipitating antibody was required to obtain a positive reaction in PCA. Precipitating antibody activated the complement system while co-precipitating antibody lacked this capacity. This difference in behaviour could not be attributed to localization of both antibodies in different IgG subclasses. Precipitating and co-precipitating antibodies were cytophilic. Only the former activated phagocytosis and increased clearance of antigen from the blood. These results are not surprising since co-precipitating antibody does not fix complement. Competition between human precipitating and co-precipitating antibodies in opsonization was analysed. In this test competition of both antibodies for the antigen depends on their respective amounts. The K = 0.18 diminished to 0.05 when the ratio of pp:cop. antibody changed from 70:30 to 30:70. The fact that co-precipitating antibody was isolated from the sera of vertebrates other than man indicate that this antibody could possibly play a role in some immune mechanisms. Taking into account

Natural variations in the 238U/235U ratio of marine carbonates may provide a useful way of constraining past variations in ocean redox conditions. However, before applying this novel redox proxy, it is essential to explore possible isotopic fractionation during U coprecipitation with aragonite and calcite. We investigated these effects in laboratory experiments. Aragonite and calcite coprecipitation experiments were conducted at pH 8.5±0.1 using a constant addition method [1]. More than 90% of the U was incorporated into the solid phase at the end of each experiment. Samples were purified using UTEVA chemistry and δ238/235U was measured using 233U-236U double-spike MC-ICP-MS with a precision of ±0.10‰ [2]. The aragonite experiment demonstrated a 238U/235U Rayleigh fractionation factor of α=1.00008±0.00002 with the 238U preferentially incorporated. In contrast, the calcite experiment demonstrated no resolvable U isotope fractionation (α=1.00001±0.00003). To determine if U isotopes are affected during the early diagenetic conversion of aragonite to calcite, natural carbonate samples were collected along an aragonite-calcite transition across a single coral head in the Key Largo limestone, and characterized for U concentration and δ238/235U [3]. We found that the mean δ238/235U in aragonite (-0.33±0.07‰ 2se) was slightly heavier than that in calcite (-0.37±0.02‰ 2se). Further work is needed to address the mechanisms leading to differential isotopic fractionation of U(VI) during incorporation into aragonite and calcite. Possible drivers include differences in coordination in the crystal structure or equilibrium isotopic fractionation between various aqueous U(VI) species prior to incorporation. [1] Reeder et al. (2001) GCA 65, 3491-3503. [2] Weyer et al., (2008) GCA 72, 345-359. [3] Gill et al., (2008) GCA 72, 4699-4722.

Technetium-99 (99Tc), a long-lived radionuclide, is one of the most widespread contaminants within the Hanford subsurface. At some depths, it is only extractable with strong acids, suggesting incorporation into a solid phase. We hypothesized that Tc may have coprecipitated with feldspathoid aluminosilicates under waste tanks that had leaked caustic solutions into the vadose zone. Our objectives were to determine if Tc could be incorporated into the feldspathoids cancrinite and sodalite and under what conditions coprecipitation could occur. Our hypothesis was that sodalite was more likely to incorporate and retain Tc. Our approach was to use known methods of feldspathoid formation in solutions resembling those in Hanford waste tanks contacting sediments in terms of major ion (Na, NO3, OH, Al(OH)4, and Si(OH)4 concentrations. In some cases, Al and Si were supplied from zeolite. We used perrhenate (ReO4) as a surrogate for pertechnetate (TcO4) to avoid the radioactivity. The major findings of this study were 1) ReO4 could be incorporated into either sodalite or cancrinite but the concentration in the solid was < 1% of the competing ion Cl, NO3, or NO2. 2) The small amount of ReO4 incorporated was not exchangeable with NO3 or NO2. 3) In sodalite, NO3 was highly preferred over ReO4 but significant Re-sodalite was formed when the mole fraction in solution (Re/Re+N) exceeded 0.8. 4) A nonlinear relation between the unit cell parameter and amount of Re incorporated suggested that a separate Re-sodalite phase was formed rather than a solid solution. 5) We determined that sodalite preference for sodalite in the presence of different anions increased with the ionic size of the competing anion: Cl < CO3 < NO3 < SO4 < MnO4 < WO4 and significant incorporation did not occur unless the difference in anion radii was less than 12%. 6) Re(VII) was not significantly reduced to Re(IV) under the conditions of this experiment and Re appeared to be a good surrogate for Tc under oxidizing

Lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate Pb{sub 1-x}La{sub x}(Zr{sub 1-y}Ti{sub y})O{sub 3} (PLZT) hollow nanospheres have been successfully prepared via a template-free hydrothermal method using the well-mixed coprecipitated precursors and the KOH mineralizer. The structure, composition, and morphology of the PLZT hollow nanospheres were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), ICP (inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometer), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectra), TG/DTA (thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis), TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and SEAD (selected area diffraction). The results show that the composition and the morphology control of the PLZT products are determined by the KOH concentration. The PLZT hollow nanospheres with uniform size of about 4 nm were synthesized in the presence of 5 M KOH. The crystalline nanoparticles can be prepared at dilute KOH, in contrast to the amorphous powders prepared at concentrated KOH. Formation mechanisms of the PLZT hollow nanospheres are also discussed.

The metastability of monohydrocalcite (CaCO3·H2O: MHC) suggests high reactivity to dissolved trace elements. Using kinetic and isotherm sorption experiments with different reaction times (24h, 48h), As(V) sorption on MHC was examined to elucidate As(V) uptake by MHC. Although the MHC was transformed to aragonite with time, the MHC in higher As(V) loading conditions was able to persist longer than in lower loading conditions. Actually, As(V) uptake was negligible for samples in which the MHC remained. However, remarkable uptake of As(V) was observed for samples in which a complete transformation of MHC to aragonite occurred. Results of kinetic study confirmed that the timing of the MHC transformation coincided perfectly with that of As(V) removal from the solution. XAFS measurements showed that the local structure of As after the MHC transformation was almost identical to that of As in the As(V) coprecipitated aragonite. Sorption behavior of As(V) during the transformation is explainable theoretically by the substitution of As(V) into the aragonite structure. The distribution coefficient and (apparent) maximum sorption capacity of As(V) sorption on MHC after 48h at low-to-moderate As(V) concentrations are 500L/kg and 25μmol/g, respectively, which are much higher than those of simple adsorption of As(V) on calcite. PMID:26547619

Objective(s) : Ibuprofen is a problematic drug in tableting due to its viscoelastic properties. Additionally its high cohesivity results in low flowability. In this study, co-precipitation of ibuprofen with varying concentration of agar and PVP to optimize properties of Ibuprofen was carried out. Materials and Methods: Co-precipitates of ibuprofen- PVP or agar were prepared by solvent evaporation technique under vacuum condition. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X -ray diffraction of powder (XRDP) and FT-IR spectroscopy were used to investigate the solid state characteristics of the co-precipitates. The dissolution behavior, flowability, particle size and compaction properties of various batches were also studied. Results: Co-precipitation of drug with agar led to a change in habit from needle to plate shape crystals, while drug –PVP co-precipitates had agglomerated structure and consisted of numerous crystals which had been aggregated together. The co-precipitates showed improved flow properties compared with ibuprofen alone. Precipitation of ibuprofen with these additives led to modification in the dissolution of the drug. Agar in 1% w/w improved slightly the dissolution rate of drug while PVP had a negative impact and led to reduction in the dissolution rate of drug to less than that of pure drug. The all obtained co-precipitates exhibited significantly improved tableting behavior compared with drug crystals alone. This may be due to this fact that, the polymer covering the drug particles increases and changes the nature of the surface area available for interparticulate bonds between particles. DSC, XRDP and FT-IR experiments showed that drug particles, in co-precipitates samples, did not undergo polymorphic modifications. Conclusion: The study highlights the influence of polymeric additives on crystallization process leading to modified performance. PMID:24250942

Objective(s) : Ibuprofen is a problematic drug in tableting due to its viscoelastic properties. Additionally its high cohesivity results in low flowability. In this study, co-precipitation of ibuprofen with varying concentration of agar and PVP to optimize properties of Ibuprofen was carried out. Materials and Methods: Co-precipitates of ibuprofen- PVP or agar were prepared by solvent evaporation technique under vacuum condition. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X -ray diffraction of powder (XRDP) and FT-IR spectroscopy were used to investigate the solid state characteristics of the co-precipitates. The dissolution behavior, flowability, particle size and compaction properties of various batches were also studied. Results: Co-precipitation of drug with agar led to a change in habit from needle to plate shape crystals, while drug –PVP co-precipitates had agglomerated structure and consisted of numerous crystals which had been aggregated together. The co-precipitates showed improved flow properties compared with ibuprofen alone. Precipitation of ibuprofen with these additives led to modification in the dissolution of the drug. Agar in 1% w/w improved slightly the dissolution rate of drug while PVP had a negative impact and led to reduction in the dissolution rate of drug to less than that of pure drug. The all obtained co-precipitates exhibited significantly improved tableting behavior compared with drug crystals alone. This may be due to this fact that, the polymer covering the drug particles increases and changes the nature of the surface area available for interparticulate bonds between particles. DSC, XRDP and FT-IR experiments showed that drug particles, in co-precipitates samples, did not undergo polymorphic modifications. Conclusion: The study highlights the influence of polymeric additives on crystallization process leading to modified performance. PMID:24250936

Delivery of a normal copy of CFTR cDNA to airway epithelia may provide a novel treatment for cystic fibrosis lung disease. Unfortunately, current vectors are inefficient because of limited binding to the apical surface of airway epithelia. We recently reported that incorporation of adenovirus in a calcium phosphate coprecipitate (Ad:CaPi) improves adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to airway epithelia in vitro and in vivo. To understand better how coprecipitation improves gene transfer, we tested the hypothesis that incorporation in a CaPi coprecipitate increases the binding of adenovirus to the apical surface of differentiated human airway epithelia. When a Cy3-labelled adenovirus was delivered in a coprecipitate, binding increased 54-fold as compared with adenovirus alone. Moreover, infection by Ad:CaPi was independent of fiber knob-CAR and penton base-integrin interactions. After binding to the cell surface, the virus must enter the cell in order to infect. We hypothesized that Ad:CaPi may stimulate fluid phase endocytosis, thereby facilitating entry. However, we found that neither adenovirus nor Ad:CaPi coprecipitates altered fluid phase endocytosis. Nevertheless, Ad:CaPi preferentially infected cells showing endocytosis. Thus, CaPi coprecipitation improves adenovirus-mediated gene transfer by coating the epithelial surface with a layer of virus which enters cells during the normal process of endocytosis. PMID:10602380

The abundances and isotopic composition of boron in modern, biogenic calcareous skeletons from the Gulf of Elat, Israel, the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and in deep-sea sediments have been examined by negative thermal-ionization mass spectrometry. The selected species (Foraminifera, Pteropoda, corals, Gastropoda, and Pelecypoda) yield large variations in boron concentration that range from 1 ppm in gastropod shells to 80 ppm in corals. The variations of {delta}{sup 11}B may be controlled by isotopic exchange of boron species in which {sup 10}B is preferentially partitioned into the tetrahedral species, and coprecipitation of different proportions of trigonal and tetrahedral species in the calcium carbonates. The B content and {delta}{sup 11}B values of deep-sea sediments, Foraminifera tests, and corals are used to estimate the global oceanic sink of elemental boron by calcium carbonate deposition. As a result of enrichment of B in corals, a substantially higher biogenic sink of 6.4 {plus minus} 0.9 {times} 10{sup 10} g/yr is calculated for carbonates. This is only slightly lower than the sink for desorbable B in marine sediments (10 {times} 10{sup 10} g/yr) and approximately half that of altered oceanic crust (14 {times} 10{sup 10} g/yr). Thus, carbonates are an important sink for B in the oceans being {approximately}20% of the total sinks. The preferential incorporation of {sup 10}B into calcium carbonate results in oceanic {sup 11}B-enrichment, estimated as 1.2 {plus minus} 0.3 {times} 10{sup 12} per mil {center dot} g/yr. The boron-isotope composition of authigenic, well-preserved carbonate skeletons may provide a useful tool to record secular boron-isotope variations in seawater at various times in the geological record.

The third stage of the study on the homogeneous coprecipitation of neptunium and plutonium from alkaline high-level radioactive waste solutions by the Method of Appearing Reagents has been completed. Alkaline radioactive wastes exist at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. The recent studies investigated the effects of neptunium chemical reductants, plutonium(IV) concentration, and the presence of bulk tank waste solution components on the decontamination from tetravalent neptunium and plutonium achieved by homogeneous coprecipitation. Data on neptunium reduction to its tetravalent state in alkaline solution of different NaOH concentrations are given. Eleven reductants were tested to find those most suited to remove neptunium, through chemical reduction, from alkaline solution by homogeneous coprecipitation. Hydrazine, VOSO{sub 4}, and Na{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 4} were found to be the most effective reductants. The rates of reduction with these reductants were comparable with the kinetics of carrier formation. Solution decontamination factors of about 400 were attained for 10{sup -6}M neptunium. Coprecipitation of plutonium(IV) with carriers obtained as products of thermal hydrolysis, redox transformations, and catalytic decomposition of [Co(NH{sub 3}){sub 6}]{sup 3+}, [Fe(CN){sub 5}NO]{sup 2-}, Cr(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}, KMnO{sub 4}, and Li{sub 4}UO{sub 2}(O{sub 2}){sub 3} was studied and results are described. Under optimum conditions, a 100-fold decrease of plutonium concentration was possible with each of these reagents.

Supported liquid membranes containing valinomycin or a calix[4]arene carrier can support electrodialysis under an imposed transmembrane potential. Under optimal conditions both transmembrane flux and carrier-based cation selectivity are enhanced relative to simple dialysis mediated by the same carriers. PMID:21308126

Phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and natural organic matter (NOM) naturally occur in all aquatic ecosystems. However, excessive P loads can cause eutrophic or hyper-eutrophic conditions in these waters. As a result, P regulation is important for these impaired aquatic systems, and Ca-P co-precipitation is a vital mechanism of natural P removal in many alkaline systems, such as the Florida Everglades. The interaction of P, Ca, and NOM is also an important factor in lime softening and corrosion control, both critical processes of drinking water treatment. Determining the role of NOM in Ca-P co-precipitation is important for identifying mechanisms that may limit P removal in both natural and engineered systems. The main goal of this research is to assess the role of NOM in inhibiting Ca and P co-precipitation by: (1) measuring how Ca, NOM, and P concentrations affect NOM's potential inhibition of co-precipitation; (2) determining the effect of pH; and (3) evaluating the precipitated solids. Results showed that Ca-P co-precipitation occurs at pH 9.5 in the presence of high natural organic matter (NOM) (≈30 mg L(-1)). The supersaturation of calcite overcomes the inhibitory effect of NOM seen at lower pH values. Higher initial P concentrations lead to both higher P precipitation rates and densities of P on the calcite surface. The maximum surface density of co-precipitated P on the precipitated calcite surface increases with increasing NOM levels, suggesting that NOM does prevent the co-precipitation of Ca and P. PMID:26079982

Natural variations in 238U/235U of marine calcium carbonates might provide a useful way of constraining redox conditions of ancient environments. In order to evaluate the reliability of this proxy, we conducted aragonite and calcite coprecipitation experiments at pH ∼7.5 and ∼8.5 to study possible U isotope fractionation during incorporation into these minerals. Small but significant U isotope fractionation was observed in aragonite experiments at pH ∼8.5, with heavier U isotopes preferentially enriched in the solid phase. 238U/235U of dissolved U in these experiments can be fit by Rayleigh fractionation curves with fractionation factors of 1.00007 + 0.00002/-0.00003, 1.00005 ± 0.00001, and 1.00003 ± 0.00001. In contrast, no resolvable U isotope fractionation was observed in an aragonite experiment at pH ∼7.5 or in calcite experiments at either pH. Equilibrium isotope fractionation among different aqueous U species is the most likely explanation for these findings. Certain charged U species are preferentially incorporated into calcium carbonate relative to the uncharged U species Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq), which we hypothesize has a lighter equilibrium U isotope composition than most of the charged species. According to this hypothesis, the magnitude of U isotope fractionation should scale with the fraction of dissolved U that is present as Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq). This expectation is confirmed by equilibrium speciation modeling of our experiments. Theoretical calculation of the U isotope fractionation factors between different U species could further test this hypothesis and our proposed fractionation mechanism. These findings suggest that U isotope variations in ancient carbonates could be controlled by changes in the aqueous speciation of seawater U, particularly changes in seawater pH, PCO2 , Ca2+, or Mg2+ concentrations. In general, these effects are likely to be small (<0.13‰), but are nevertheless potentially significant because of the small natural range of

In oxidizing environments, the toxic and radioactive element uranium (U) is most soluble and mobile in the hexavalent oxidation state. Sorption of U(VI) on Fe-oxides minerals (such as hematite [α-Fe 2O 3] and goethite [α-FeOOH]) and occlusion of U(VI) by Fe-oxide coatings are processes that can retard U transport in environments. In aged U-contaminated geologic materials, the transport and the biological availability of U toward reduction may be limited by coprecipitation with Fe-oxide minerals. These processes also affect the biological availability of U(VI) species toward reduction and precipitation as the less soluble U(IV) species by metal-reducing bacteria. To examine the dynamics of interactions between U(VI) and Fe oxides during crystallization, Fe-oxide phases (containing 0.5 to 5.4 mol% U/(U + Fe)) were synthesized by means of solutions of U(VI) and Fe(III). Wet chemical (digestions and chemical extractions) and spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize the synthesized Fe oxide coprecipitates after rinsing in deionized water. Leaching the high mol% U solids with concentrated carbonate solution (for sorbed and solid-phase U(VI) species) typically removed most of the U, leaving, on average, about 0.6 mol% U. Oxalate leaching of solids with low mol% U contents (about 1 mol% U or less) indicated that almost all of the Fe in these solids was crystalline and that most of the U was associated with these crystalline Fe oxides. X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic studies indicate that hematite formation is preferred over that of goethite when the amount of U in the Fe-oxides exceeds 1 mol% U (˜4 wt% U). FT-IR and room temperature continuous wave luminescence spectroscopic studies with unleached U/Fe solids indicate a relationship between the mol% U in the Fe oxide and the intensity or existence of the spectra features that can be assigned to UO 22+ species (such as the IR asymmetric υ 3 stretch for O = U = O for

The coprecipitation of Sr 2+, Mg 2+, Na +, K + and Cl - into gypsum was studied as a function of temperature, brine concentration and growth rate. The concentrations of the studied cations in the gypsum increase with growth rate (kinetic effect), with a tendency to reach a limiting value at high growth rates. The partition coefficients of Sr tend to increase with brine concentration and decrease with temperature. The partition coefficients of the other cations also decrease with temperature but depend only very slightly on brine concentration. The concentrations of coprecipitated chloride are negligibly small. The coprecipitation behavior is explained in terms of the relation between the rate of desorption of the coprecipitating ions from the surface of the growing crystal, and the rate of growth. The studied cations may substitute for Ca 2+ in its normal lattice sites and/or reside in interstitial positions among the structural water molecules. The relative amount of foreign cations occupying interstitial positions increases with increasing growth rate. The elucidation of the behavior of coprecipitated ions in gypsum given here forms a basis for the utilization of these ions as geochemical indicators for the environment of deposition of gypsum. These indicators may help in reconstructing important parameters such as temperature, brine concentration and growth rate.

Aluminum and iron oxides have been often used in the coagulation processes during water purification due to their unique surface properties toward anions. In the presence of silica, the coprecipitation of Al/Si or Fe/Si might decrease the efficiency of wastewater purification and reuse. In this study, surface properties and molecular structures of Al/Si and Fe/Si coprecipitates were characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Also, the selenite removal efficiency of Al/Si and Fe/Si coprecipitates in relation to their surface and structural properties was investigated. While dissolved silicate increased with increasing pH from Fe/Si coprecipitates, less than 7% of silicate was discernible from Al/Si samples over the range from acidic to alkaline conditions. Our spectroscopic results showed that the associations between Al and Si were relatively stronger than that between Fe and Si in coprecipitates. In Al/Si coprecipitates, core-shell structures were developed with AlO6/AlO4 domains as the shells and Si frameworks polymerized from the SiO2 as the cores. However, Si framework remained relatively unchanged upon coprecipitation with Fe hydroxides in Fe/Si samples. The Si core with Al shell structure of Al/Si coprecipitates shielded the negative charges from SiO2 and thereby resulted in a higher adsorption capacity of selenite than Fe/Si coprecipitates. PMID:27095071

Aluminum and iron oxides have been often used in the coagulation processes during water purification due to their unique surface properties toward anions. In the presence of silica, the coprecipitation of Al/Si or Fe/Si might decrease the efficiency of wastewater purification and reuse. In this study, surface properties and molecular structures of Al/Si and Fe/Si coprecipitates were characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Also, the selenite removal efficiency of Al/Si and Fe/Si coprecipitates in relation to their surface and structural properties was investigated. While dissolved silicate increased with increasing pH from Fe/Si coprecipitates, less than 7% of silicate was discernible from Al/Si samples over the range from acidic to alkaline conditions. Our spectroscopic results showed that the associations between Al and Si were relatively stronger than that between Fe and Si in coprecipitates. In Al/Si coprecipitates, core-shell structures were developed with AlO6/AlO4 domains as the shells and Si frameworks polymerized from the SiO2 as the cores. However, Si framework remained relatively unchanged upon coprecipitation with Fe hydroxides in Fe/Si samples. The Si core with Al shell structure of Al/Si coprecipitates shielded the negative charges from SiO2 and thereby resulted in a higher adsorption capacity of selenite than Fe/Si coprecipitates.

Aluminum and iron oxides have been often used in the coagulation processes during water purification due to their unique surface properties toward anions. In the presence of silica, the coprecipitation of Al/Si or Fe/Si might decrease the efficiency of wastewater purification and reuse. In this study, surface properties and molecular structures of Al/Si and Fe/Si coprecipitates were characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Also, the selenite removal efficiency of Al/Si and Fe/Si coprecipitates in relation to their surface and structural properties was investigated. While dissolved silicate increased with increasing pH from Fe/Si coprecipitates, less than 7% of silicate was discernible from Al/Si samples over the range from acidic to alkaline conditions. Our spectroscopic results showed that the associations between Al and Si were relatively stronger than that between Fe and Si in coprecipitates. In Al/Si coprecipitates, core-shell structures were developed with AlO6/AlO4 domains as the shells and Si frameworks polymerized from the SiO2 as the cores. However, Si framework remained relatively unchanged upon coprecipitation with Fe hydroxides in Fe/Si samples. The Si core with Al shell structure of Al/Si coprecipitates shielded the negative charges from SiO2 and thereby resulted in a higher adsorption capacity of selenite than Fe/Si coprecipitates. PMID:27095071

This paper aims at studying the effect of the particle size on the compression and tension behavior of the cobalt ferrite-based magnetorheological fluid (MRF). To achieve this goal, Co-ferrite nano-particles (CoFe2O4) with three different sizes, were synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation method and then two of them were mixed together. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, Scattering Electron Microscope (SEM), Laser Particle Size Analysis (LPSA) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) were carried out to study the phase analysis, particles morphology, particle distribution and magnetic properties, respectively. Then the compression and tension tests were conducted on MRFs containing silicon oil as a carrier. The results showed that the highest values of the compression and tension strengths of fluids correspond to the larger particle sizes (550 nm) with 1.241 and 0.594 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the compression and tension strengths of the mixed one (1.153 and 0.388 MPa) containing 60 and 300 nm samples are higher than its components with 0.431 and 0.249 MPa, as well as 0.694 and 0.367 MPa, respectively.

Dielectric spectra and magnetization hysteresis loops were used to investigate the grain size effect with temperature on the electrical and magnetic response of co-precipitation derived spinel (Ni0.5Zn0.5)Fe2O4 (NZFO) ceramics. Remarkable dielectric relaxation phenomena of non-Debye type have been observed in each NZFO ceramics as confirmed by two kinds of Cole-Cole plots of the 1100 °C sintered samples, mainly due to the electron-hopping mechanism between n-type and p-type carriers and interfacial ion effect when applied an increase of temperature. The high and low response of grain and grain-boundary regions were determined by modeling the impedance experimental results on two equivalent RC circuits taking into account grain deep trap states. By employing the modified Arrhenius equation, activation energy values of different sintering temperatures were calculated and analyzed in combination with oxygen vacancy. In addition, the magnetization of various sintering temperature samples is dominated by cation distribution and surface effect in different particle ranges.

In the present study Ni-doped ZnO and Ni, Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by co-precipitation method. Structural studies confirmed the dominant presence of hexagonal wurtzite ZnO phase at lower Cu concentration and CuO phase was observed at higher Cu (Cu = 5%) concentration. The existence of Cu2+ ions were dominant at Cu ⩽ 3% (responsible for lattice shrinkage) and the presence of Cu+ ions were dominant at Cu > 3% (responsible for lattice expansion). The change in UV-visible absorption and energy gap were discussed by secondary phase generation and charge carrier density. The low absorption loss and high transmittance at Cu = 3% doped samples is used as potential candidate for opto-electronic devices. The increase of green band intensity and decrease of UV band at higher Cu concentration confirmed the existence of more defect related states.

Precipitate size and number density are two key factors for tailoring the mechanical behavior of nanoscale precipitate-hardened alloys. However, during thermal aging, the precipitate size and number density change, leading to either poor strength or high strength but significantly reduced ductility. Here we demonstrate, by producing nanoscale co-precipitates in composition-optimized multicomponent precipitation-hardened alloys, a unique approach to improve the stability of the alloy against thermal aging and hence the mechanical properties. Our study provides compelling experimental evidence that these nanoscale co-precipitates consist of a Cu-enriched bcc core partially encased by a B2-ordered Ni(Mn, Al) phase. This co-precipitate provides a more complex obstacle for dislocation movement due to atomic ordering together with interphases, resulting in a high yield strength alloy without sacrificing alloy ductility. PMID:23429646

Redox potential (Eh) is an important factor controlling chemical processes in hydrosphere on the earth, because redox reactions are related to the behaviors of many major and minor species in natural waters. The Eh may be estimated by the information of the oxidation states of redox couples (e.g., Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratio) since the Eh value tends to be controlled by the major elements. In this study, we suggest to use selenium (Se) in barite (BaSO4) as a redox indicator for hydrothermal system where barite is precipitated. Barite is stable under a high P-T condition, and this mineral contains various trace elements that may reflect the physicochemical condition of the seawater and hydrothermal water where they were formed. Selenium can occur in the environment in several oxidation states (-2, 0, +4 and +6), but Se in natural waters is mostly found in inorganic forms as oxyanions of selenite [Se(IV)] or selenate [Se(VI)]. The valence ratio of Se depends on the redox condition. Selenium is often found in minerals by substituting a site of sulfur (S) since they are homologous element. Both Se(IV) and Se(VI) may be incorporated into barite because barite is stable under a wide range of the Eh-pH condition which includes Se(IV)-Se(VI) boundary in the Eh-pH diagram. Therefore, the oxidation state of Se in barite can provide more precise information on the redox condition of the depositional environment. The purpose of this study is to establish a method to estimate the redox condition where barite is precipitated. Coprecipitation experiments of Se with barite were conducted to clarify the relationships between Se(VI)/Se(VI) ratio in artificial seawater (ASW) and that in barite at pH 8.0 and pH 4.0. These experiments were employed to evaluate the relationship between aqueous Se(VI) fraction (RwVI) and that incorporated into barite (RbVI). The initial pH of ASW was adjusted to 4.0 and 8.0 before the barite precipitation. These two pH conditions were adopted considering

The process of ureolytically-induced calcium carbonate mineralization has been shown in laboratory studies to be effective in co-precipitation of heavy metals and radionuclides. During this process, the microbially catalyzed hydrolysis of urea increases alkalinity and pH, thus promoting CaCO3 precipitation in the presence of dissolved calcium. One proposed application of biomineralization includes the remediation of radionuclides such as strontium, which can be co-precipitated in situ within calcite. Strontium is of concern at several US DOE sites where it is a radioactive product of uranium fission and groundwater contaminant. Our research focuses on promoting attached bacteria, or biofilms, in subsurface environments where they serve as immobilized catalysts in biomineralization and can aide in co-precipitation of some contaminants. In this work, flat plate reactors with 1 mm etched flow channels designed to mimic a porous medium environment were used. Reactors were inoculated with the model ureolytic bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii and addition of urea, calcium and strontium containing fluid was performed to induce biomineralization. Continuous flow and stopped-flow injection strategies were investigated to evaluate differences in strontium co-precipitation efficiency. During stopped-flow experiments, injection of cementation fluid containing urea, Ca2+ and Sr2+ was alternated with growth nutrients for stimulation of microbial activity. Control parameters such as urea and calcium concentration and injection flow rate are currently being varied to optimize rate and efficiency of strontium co-precipitation. Ureolytically induced calcite precipitation and strontium incorporation in the calcite was verified by chemical and mineralogical analyses, including X-ray diffraction and ICP-MS. Strontium co-precipitation efficiency was similar under different injection strategies. Alternating calcium-containing fluid with growth nutrients allowed for continued viability of

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are continuously produced by bacteria during their growth and metabolism. In soils, EPS are bound to cell surfaces, associated with biofilms, or released into solution where they can react with other solutes and soil particle surfaces. If such reaction results in a decrease in EPS bioaccessibility, it may contribute to stabilization of microbial-derived organic carbon (OC) in soil. Here we examined: (i) the chemical fractionation of EPS produced by a common Gram positive soil bacterial strain ( Bacillus subtilis) during reaction with dissolved and colloidal Al species and (ii) the resulting stabilization against desorption and microbial decay by the respective coprecipitation (with dissolved Al) and adsorption (with Al(OH) 3(am)) processes. Coprecipitates and adsorption complexes obtained following EPS-Al reaction as a function of pH and ionic strength were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The stability of adsorbed and coprecipitated EPS against biodegradation was assessed by mineralization experiments for 1100 h. Up to 60% of the initial 100 mg/L EPS-C was adsorbed at the highest initial molar Al:C ratio (1.86), but this still resulted only in a moderate OC mass fraction in the solid phase (17 mg/g Al(OH) 3(am)). In contrast, while coprecipitation by Al was less efficient in removing EPS from solution (maximum values of 33% at molar Al:C ratios of 0.1-0.2), the OC mass fraction in the solid product was substantially larger than that in adsorption complexes. Organic P compounds were preferentially bound during both adsorption and coprecipitation. Data are consistent with strong ligand exchange of EPS phosphoryl groups during adsorption to Al(OH) 3(am), whereas for coprecipitation weaker sorption mechanisms are also involved. X-ray photoelectron analyses indicate an intimate mixing of EPS with Al in the coprecipitates, which is not observed in the case

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Arsenate coprecipitated with hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) was stabilized against dissolution during transformation of HFO to more crystalline iron (hydr)oxides. The rate of arsenate stabilization approximately coincided with the rate of HFO transformation at pH 6 and 40 ?C. Compa...

Recent studies have shown that microbial residues contribute significantly to soil organic matter (SOM) formation. This material, however, is readily degradable and thus needs to be stabilized in soil. We hypothesize that the interaction with minerals, in particular co-precipitation with metal oxyhydroxides, plays an important role in stabilization of cell envelope material. We therefore analyzed the mineralization of 14C-labelled Escherichia coli cells and cell envelope fragments during incubation of the cell materials alone or after co-precipitation with either Fe or Al oxyhydroxide. We also tested the effect of environmental conditions, in particular oxygen supply and redox potential, on the stabilizing effect of the mineral phases. Co-precipitation with both Fe and Al oxyhydroxides decreased the mineralization significantly, indicating strong protection of biomass and biomass-derived fragments. Surprisingly, the mineralization of intact cells was higher than that of cell envelope fragments. This points to a higher recalcitrance of the cell envelope fragments, which therefore may be selectively enriched in SOM. Reductive conditions obtained after water-logging combined with excessive supply of an easily available carbon source resulted in increased mineralization in the treatments containing Fe oxyhydroxides, due to reductive dissolution of the Fe oxyhydroxide and thus loss of the stabilizing agent. We therefore conclude that co-precipitation with and incrustation by Fe or Al oxyhydroxides is a relevant stabilization mechanism for microbial residues. The same mechanism also may apply for SOM in general.

Strontium-90 is a principal radionuclide contaminant in the subsurface at several Department of Energy sites in the Western U.S., causing a threat to groundwater quality in areas such as Hanford, WA. In this work, we used laboratory-scale porous media flow cells to examine a potential remediation strategy employing coprecipitation of strontium in carbonate minerals. CaCO(3) precipitation and strontium coprecipitation were induced via ureolysis by Sporosarcina pasteurii in two-dimensional porous media reactors. An injection strategy using pulsed injection of calcium mineralization medium was tested against a continuous injection strategy. The pulsed injection strategy involved periods of lowered calcite saturation index combined with short high fluid velocity flow periods of calcium mineralization medium followed by stagnation (no-flow) periods to promote homogeneous CaCO(3) precipitation. By alternating the addition of mineralization and growth media the pulsed strategy promoted CaCO(3) precipitation while sustaining the ureolytic culture over time. Both injection strategies achieved ureolysis with subsequent CaCO(3) precipitation and strontium coprecipitation. The pulsed injection strategy precipitated 71-85% of calcium and 59% of strontium, while the continuous injection was less efficient and precipitated 61% of calcium and 56% of strontium. Over the 60 day operation of the pulsed reactors, ureolysis was continually observed, suggesting that the balance between growth and precipitation phases allowed for continued cell viability. Our results support the pulsed injection strategy as a viable option for ureolysis-induced strontium coprecipitation because it may reduce the likelihood of injection well accumulation caused by localized mineral plugging while Sr coprecipitation efficiency is maintained in field-scale applications. PMID:23282003

Coprecipitation of barite with trace constituents was simulated with consideration of aqueous speciation and complexation, mixing properties for the binary solid solutions (Zhu, this issue), precipitation and dissolution kinetics, and advective-dispersive transport. Speciation-solubility modeling was used to reproduce BaSO 4-RaSO 4 coprecipitation experimental results, and to calculate CrO 42- aqueous concentrations in equilibrium with a Ba(SO 4,CrO 4) solid solution. Kinetic reaction path modeling was used to simulate the coprecipitation of barite with RaSO 4 to form an onion-like chemically zoned solid upon the cooling of oil field brine. A one-dimensional coupled reactive mass transport model shows a strikingly different transport pattern for the tracer Ra 2+, when the dominant attenuation reaction is with solid solution (Ba, Ra) SO 4 as compared to the case when it is controlled by pure RaSO 4 and barite solids under local equilibrium conditions. A self-enrichment of Ra 2+ in the groundwater and aquifer solid matrix—higher concentrations of Ra 2+ downstream from the reaction front—results from the coprecipitation reaction and advective-dispersive transport. This self-enrichment process generates a secondary tracer source, which has tracer concentrations higher than that of the original source. On the other hand, coprecipitation reactions can reduce Ra 2+ concentrations in groundwater to a much lower level (below ppb) than that of pure RaSO 4(c) solubility (near ppm), which has been used to establish the Ra 2+ concentration limits in groundwater, soil, and nuclear waste repositories.

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a means of combusting carbonaceous fuels, which inherently separates the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the remaining combustion products, and has the potential to be used for the production of high-purity hydrogen. Iron-based oxygen carriers for CLC have been subject to considerable work; however, there are issues regarding the lifespan of iron-based oxygen carriers over repeated cycles. In this work, haematite (Fe2O3) was reduced in an N2+CO+CO2 mixture within a fluidised bed at 850°C, and oxidised back to magnetite (Fe3O4) in a H2O+N2 mixture, with the subsequent yield of hydrogen during oxidation being of interest. Subsequent cycles started from Fe3O4 and two transition regimes were studied; Fe3O4↔Fe0.947O and Fe3O4↔Fe. Particles were produced by mechanical mixing and co-precipitation. In the case of co-precipitated particles, Al was added such that the ratio of Fe:Al by weight was 9:1, and the final pH of the particles during precipitation was investigated for its subsequent effect on reactivity. This paper shows that co-precipitated particles containing additives such as Al may be able to achieve consistently high H2 yields when cycling between Fe3O4 and Fe, and that these yields are a function of the ratio of [CO2] to [CO] during reduction, where thermodynamic arguments suggest that the yield should be independent of this ratio. A striking feature with our materials was that particles made by mechanical mixing performed much better than those made by co-precipitation when cycling between Fe3O4 and Fe0.947O, but much worse than co-precipitated particles when cycling between Fe3O4 and Fe.

Recent studies indicate that Cu is released from wetlands following storm events. Assymetrical field flow field fractionation (AF4) analyses as well as total and dissolved metal concentration measurements suggest iron oxide-organic matter complexes control Cu retention and release. Coprecipitation products of Fe oxide and organic matter were prepared under conditions similar to the wetland to assess Cu partitioning to and availability from solid phases that settle from solution as well as phases remaining suspended. Cu coprecipitation and sorption to organomineral precipitation solids formed at different Fe:organic carbon (OC) ratios were compared for net Cu removal and extractability. As more humic acid was present during precipitation of Fe, TEM images indicated smaller Fe oxide particles formed within an organic matrix as expected. In coprecipitation reactions, as the ratio of Fe:OC decreased, more Cu was removed from solution at pH 5.5 and below. However, in sorption reactions, there was an inhibition of Cu removal at low OC concentrations. As the pH increased from 5.5 to 7 and as solution phase OC concentration increased, more Cu remained dissolved in both coprecipitation and sorption reactions. The addition of Ca2+, glycine, histidine and citric acid or lowering the pH resulted in more extractable Cu from the coprecipitation compared with the sorption reactions. The variations in Cu extraction were likely due to a combination of a more amorphous structure in CPT products, and the relative abundance of available Fe oxide or OC binding sites. Suspended Fe oxide-organic matter coprecipitates were assessed using AF4 coupled to online TOC analysis and ICP-MS. In laboratory prepared samples, Cu was observed in a mixture of small 1-5 nm colloids of Fe oxide-organic matter precipitates, but the majority was observed in larger organic matter colloids and were not UV absorbing, suggesting more aliphatic carbon materials. In field samples, up to 60% of the dissolved Cu

Neodymium doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) ceramics have been synthesised using coprecipitation technique and high temperature vacuum sintering. Gelatinous like precipitates were obtained when precursors of Nd, Al and Yb-nitrate solutions are co-precipitated using ammonia co-precipitant. De-watering from the gelatinous like precipitates is a big challenge and it possesses difficulty in filtration. Evaporation of water by heating resulted in strong agglomerated powder. Different agents were used to ease the filtration process, which is correlated with the phase in the calcined powder.

Candidate interactions identified by high-throughput protein microarray screening require rigorous -confirmation. Such validation is time-consuming and labor-intensive using conventional techniques. We describe a medium-throughput validation protocol based on coprecipitation of biotin-labeled -proteins synthesized in vitro using a rabbit reticulocyte lysate-coupled transcription and translation system. As our experimental system is based on screening for serum antibodies, we also present methods on purifying immunoglobulin from serum and quantifying the amount of coprecipitated (immunoprecipitated) target protein on Western blot. This technique provides a sensitive confirmatory test allowing for the rapid elimination of false positives prior to more extensive validation and analysis of target interactions in their native environment. PMID:21370070

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the stereospecific interaction of ibuprofen with chiral excipients such as hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD), tartaric acid, sucrose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), and a nonchiral excipient, citric acid. Coprecipitates of ibuprofen were prepared in molar ratios ranging between 1:0.5 and 1:10 by a solvent evaporation method and characterized using x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and dissolution testing. Phase solubility studies of ibuprofen were carried out by adding excess amount of ibuprofen to aqueous excipient solutions of varying concentrations. Interaction was studied in suspensions of ibuprofen with HPMC, MC, and sucrose stored at room temperature and 60 degrees C for 12 weeks. Solubility of ibuprofen in HPCD solutions increased 10-fold, whereas solubility decreased in the tartaric and citric acid solutions, a result of decreased pH with increased amount of the acids in which ibuprofen (pKa 4.8) is less soluble. Phase solubility diagrams of ibuprofen in aqueous HPCD, citric acid, and tartaric acid solutions showed no stereospecific differences in solubility of the two enantiomers. X-ray diffraction studies showed that ibuprofen exists in a crystalline form at low ibuprofen-to-excipient ratios, whereas at the higher ratios, it exists in an amorphous form. FTIR spectroscopy for HPCD coprecipitates showed a shift of the carbonyl stretching band of ibuprofen to a higher wavelength with a markedly decreased intensity, probably because of a breakdown in the intermolecular hydrogen bonding with ibuprofen and restriction of the drug molecule in the HPCD cavity, respectively. Dissolution profiles of the coprecipitates demonstrated higher dissolution rates than those of pure ibuprofen. The presence of chiral excipients did not appear to cause stereoselective release of the drug from the coprecipitates and the suspensions. PMID:10027208

X-ray absorption and luminescence spectroscopies have been used to characterize the local structure and coordination of uranium (VI) species coprecipitated with calcite (CaCO3) in room-temperature aqueous solutions. Different solution chemistries and pHs are found to result in defferences in the equatorial coordination of the uranyl species (UO2/2+) in the calcite, with multiple coordination environments of uranyl evident in one sample.

Structural characteristics of Fe{sup 3+} oxide/silica co-precipitates were investigated. The association between these materials is relevant to practically all natural aqueous systems due to the prevalence of iron and silicon in the Earth's crust. Crystallographic information is very difficult to obtain from these precipitates due to the nanocrystalline nature of ferrihydrite and the amorphous structure of precipitated silica. Several previously undetermined key insights were gained into the structure of iron oxide/silica co-precipitates through this examination. The distribution of iron and silicon throughout co-precipitate particles is illustrated along with the influence of their association. Evidence to the governing factor behind differences in apparent crystallinity is also presented. This information culminates in the formulation of a precipitation pathway, displaying the formation of the co-precipitates.

The synthesis of Mg{sub 2}Al–NO{sub 3} layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets by coprecipitation using a T-type microchannel reactor is reported. Aqueous LDH nanosheet dispersions were obtained. The LDH nanosheets were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and particle size analysis, and the transmittance and viscosity of LDH nanosheet dispersions were examined. The two-dimensional LDH nanosheets consisted of 1–2 brucite-like layers and were stable for ca. 16 h at room temperature. In addition, the co-assembly between LDH nanosheets and dodecyl sulfate (DS) anions was carried out, and a DS intercalated LDH nanohybrid was obtained. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of LDH nanosheets being directly prepared in bulk aqueous solution. This simple, cheap method can provide naked LDH nanosheets in high quantities, which can be used as building blocks for functional materials. - Graphical abstract: Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets were synthesized by coprecipitation using a T-type microchannel reactor, and could be used as basic building blocks for LDH-based functional materials. Display Omitted - Highlights: • LDH nanosheets were synthesized by coprecipitation using a T-type microchannel reactor. • Naked LDH nanosheets were dispersed in aqueous media. • LDH nanosheets can be used as building blocks for functional materials.

3 mole % Yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline/Magnesium aluminate spinel (3Y-TZP/MgAl2O4) nanocomposite have exhibited high strain rate superplasticity at 1.7x10--2 --3.3x10--1 s --1. Low strain rate superplasticity (10--5--10 --3 s--1) has been the main drawback of using superplastic ceramics in industries. Microstructural design of 3Y-TZP/MgAl2O4 composite is a key in obtaining high strain rate superplasticity within the range of 10 --2--100 s--1 ). 3Y-TZP/MgAl2O4 may experience a surge in its application at high temperature if the microstructure is designed to exhibit high strain rates at low temperatures. In the present study, the reverse coprecipitation synthesis technique was adopted to synthesize nanocomposite powders containing 70%3Y-TZP/30%MgAl 2O4 and 60%3Y-TZP/40%MgAl2O4 with microstructural characteristics suitable for superplastic application. It was expected that the coprecipitation synthesis technique route will yield highly homogeneous nanocrystalline composite powders, which could be sintered into a dense component with high thermal stability of the small grains. Microstructual features observed after processing powders of 3Y-TZP/MgAl2O4 revealed that the coprecipitation synthesis is a suitable technique for processing nanocomposite powders for superplastic application.

Microorganisms play an important role in natural environments by controlling the metal cations (e.g., Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+) and the anions (CO32-, NH4+, PO43-) that precipitate as biominerals (e.g., carbonates, phosphates). In contrast to phosphate minerals, precipitation of carbonate minerals by bacteria has been widely studied in culture experiments and in natural environments. Moreover, studies of sedimentary phosphate minerals and their geological and ecological implications are rare. Nevertheless, phosphate minerals frequently co-precipitate with carbonates in culture experiments and in natural systems. In the present work, we investigate how microorganisms control the mineralogy and geochemistry of phosphate and carbonate minerals. For this, culture experiments were performed to study the co-precipitation of phosphate and carbonate minerals using aerobic heterotrophic bacteria at sedimentary Earth's surface conditions. Ca-Mg carbonate (dolomite, Mg-calcite) and/or Mg-carbonate (hydromagnesite) precipitated with Mg-phosphate (struvite). In most of the cultures, phosphate was the dominant mineral phase found in the bacterial precipitates and carbonates precipitated after phosphate phases. Notably, in all the cultures, we found a mixture of phosphate and carbonate minerals. This study shines new light into the microbial diagenetic processes involved in the co-precipitation of phosphate and carbonate minerals and links the P and C cycles.

At the Finnish candidate sites for a nuclear waste repository, calcite (CaCO{sub 3}) is a common fracture mineral that may participate in coprecipitation processes. The objective of this preliminary work was to study the coprecipitation of the trace elements Sr, Ni, and U with CaCO{sub 3} under controlled conditions. The experiments were made in a titration vessel at room temperature under pure N{sub 2} or a 0.1% CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} mixture. The water phase contained CaCl{sub 2} (0.01M) and NaCl (0.05 M) to which trace amounts of Ni{sup 2+}, Sr{sup 2+} and UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} were initially added. CaCO{sub 3} was precipitated by the addition of Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and the use of CaCO{sub 3} seed crystals. When about 10{sup {minus}4} mol of precipitate had formed, the solution and solid phases were analyzed with ICP-MS. The results seem to indicate that Ni coprecipitated with CaCO{sub 3} under the experimental conditions, while U did not. In the case of Sr, further data are needed in order to make any conclusions from the experiments.

An automatic carrier acquisition system for a phase locked loop (PLL) receiver is disclosed. It includes a local oscillator, which sweeps the receiver to tune across the carrier frequency uncertainty range until the carrier crosses the receiver IF reference. Such crossing is detected by an automatic acquisition detector. It receives the IF signal from the receiver as well as the IF reference. It includes a pair of multipliers which multiply the IF signal with the IF reference in phase and in quadrature. The outputs of the multipliers are filtered through bandpass filters and power detected. The output of the power detector has a signal dc component which is optimized with respect to the noise dc level by the selection of the time constants of the filters as a function of the sweep rate of the local oscillator.

The kinetics of As(V) adsorption by ferrihydrite was investigated in coprecipitation and postsynthesis adsorption experiments conducted in the pH range 7.5-9.0. In coprecipitation experiments, As(V) was present in solution during the hydrolysis and precipitation of iron. In adsorption experiments, a period of rapid (<5 min) As(V) uptake from solution was followed by continued uptake for at least eight days, as As(V) diffused to adsorption sites on ferrihydrite surfaces within aggregates of colloidal particles. The time dependence of As(V) adsorption is well described by a general model for diffusion into a sphere if a subset of surface sites located near the exterior of aggregates is assumed to attain adsorptive equilibrium rapidly. The kinetics of As(V) desorption after an increase in pH were also consistent with diffusion as a rate-limiting process. Aging of pure ferrihydrite prior to As(V) adsorption caused a decrease in adsorption sites on the precipitate owing to crystallite growth. In coprecipitation experiments, the initial As(V) uptake was significantly greater than in post-synthesis adsorption experiments, and the rate of uptake was not diffusion limited because As(V) was coordinated by surface sites before crystallite growth and coagulation processes could proceed. After the initial adsorption, As(V) was slowly released from coprecipitates for at least one month, as crystallite growth caused desorption of As(V). Adsorption densities as high as 0.7 mole As(V) per mole of Fe were measured in coprecipitates, in comparison to 0.25 mole As(V) per mole of Fe in post-synthesis adsorption experiments. Despite the high Concentration of As(V) in the precipitates, EXAFS spectroscopy (Waychunas et al., 1993) showed that neither ferric arsenate nor any other As-bearing surface precipitate or solid solution was formed. The high adsorption densities are possible because the ferrihydrite particles are extremely small, approaching the size of small dioctahedral chains at

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One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier includes a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are held, and conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body. A conductive bus bar is embedded into a top side of the carrier body and is conductively coupled to the conductive lines. A thermoplastic overmold covers a portion of the bus bar, and there is a plastic-to-plastic bond between the thermoplastic overmold and the non-conductive carrier body. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

The focus of this report is the evaluation of various co-precipitation processes for use in the synthesis of mixed oxide feedstock powders for the Ceramic Fuels Technology Area within the Fuels Cycle R&D (FCR&D) Program's Advanced Fuels Campaign. The evaluation will include a comparison with standard mechanical mixing of dry powders and as well as other co-conversion methods. The end result will be the down selection of a preferred sequence of co-precipitation process for the preparation of nuclear fuel feedstock materials to be used for comparison with other feedstock preparation methods. A review of the literature was done to identify potential nitrate-to-oxide co-conversion processes which have been applied to mixtures of uranium and plutonium to achieve recycle fuel homogeneity. Recent studies have begun to study the options for co-converting all of the plutonium and neptunium recovered from used nuclear fuels, together with appropriate portions of recovered uranium to produce the desired mixed oxide recycle fuel. The addition of recycled uranium will help reduce the safeguard attractiveness level and improve proliferation resistance of the recycled fuel. The inclusion of neptunium is primarily driven by its chemical similarity to plutonium, thus enabling a simple quick path to recycle. For recycle fuel to thermal-spectrum light water reactors (LWRs), the uranium concentration can be {approx}90% (wt.), and for fast spectrum reactors, the uranium concentration can typically exceed 70% (wt.). However, some of the co-conversion/recycle fuel fabrication processes being developed utilize a two-step process to reach the desired uranium concentration. In these processes, a 50-50 'master-mix' MOX powder is produced by the co-conversion process, and the uranium concentration is adjusted to the desired level for MOX fuel recycle by powder blending (milling) the 'master-mix' with depleted uranium oxide. In general, parameters that must be controlled for co-precipitation

Our previous research has demonstrated that dissolved organic matter (DOM) influences calcium carbonate mineral formation in surface and ground water. To better understand DOM mediation of carbonate precipitation and DOM co-precipitation and/or incorporation with carbonate minerals, we characterized the content and speciation of DOM in carbonate minerals and in the lake water of Pyramid Lake, Nevada, USA. A 400-gram block of precipitated calcium carbonate from the Pyramid Lake shore was dissolved in 8 liters of 10% acetic acid. Particulate matter not dissolved by acetic acid was removed by centrifugation. DOM from the carbonate rock was fractionated into nine portions using evaporation, dialysis, resin adsorption, and selective precipitations to remove acetic acid and inorganic constituents. The calcium carbonate rock contained 0.23% DOM by weight. This DOM was enriched in polycarboxylic proteinaceous acids and hydroxy-acids in comparison with the present lake water. DOM in lake water was composed of aliphatic, alicyclic polycarboxylic acids. These compound classes were found in previous studies to inhibit calcium carbonate precipitation. DOM fractions from the carbonate rock were 14C-age dated at about 3,100 to 3,500 years before present. The mechanism of DOM co-precipitation and/or physical incorporation in the calcium carbonate is believed to be due to formation of insoluble calcium complexes with polycarboxylic proteinaceous acids and hydroxy-acids that have moderately large stability constants at the alkaline pH of the lake. DOM co-precipitation with calcium carbonate and incorporation in precipitated carbonate minerals removes proteinaceous DOM, but nearly equivalent concentrations of neutral and acidic forms of organic nitrogen in DOM remain in solution. Calcium carbonate precipitation during lime softening pretreatment of drinking water may have practical applications for removal of proteinaceous disinfection by-product precursors.

Although mine drainage is usually thought of as acidic, there are many cases where the water is of neutral pH, but still contains metal species that can be harmful to human or aquatic animal health, such as manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). Typical treatment of mine drainage waters involves pH adjustment, but this often results in excessive sludge formation and removal of nontoxic species such as magnesium and calcium. Theoretical consideration of the stability of metal carbonate species suggests that the target metals could be removed from solution by coprecipitation with calcium carbonate. The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a limestone-based process for remediation of acid mine drainage that increases calcium carbonate saturation. This treatment could then be coupled with carbonate coprecipitation as an innovative method for removal of toxic metals from circumneutral mine drainage waters. The new process was termed the carbonate coprecipitation (CCP) process. The CCP process was tested at the laboratory scale using a synthetic mine water containing 50 mg/L each of Mn and Zn. Best results showed over 95% removal of both Mn and Zn in less than 2 h of contact in a limestone channel. The process was then tested on a sample of water from the Palmerton zinc superfund site, near Palmerton, Pennsylvania, containing over 300 mg/L Zn and 60 mg/L Mn. Treatment of this water resulted in removal of over 95% of the Zn and 40% of the Mn in the limestone channel configuration. Because of the potential economic advantages of the CCP process, further research is recommended for refinement of the process for the Palmerton water and for application to other mining impacted waters as well. ?? Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

The purpose of this study was to formulate Nonoxynol-9 (N-9) into a solid coprecipitate form which can be used in preparing pharmaceutically attractive and nonirritating vaginal controlled-release delivery systems (DDSs) such as gelatin capsules (HGC) and tablets. N-9 was coprecipitated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with or without iodine to produce solid powders which were incorporated into either (a) bilayer tablet DDSs which possess a fast- (outer) and slow- (inner core) releasing compartment, and (b) HGC DDSs (named Triad HGC) composed of fast- (outer), intermediate- (granules), and slow- (pellets) releasing compartments. The rates of release of iodine and/or [14C]N-9 from the two DDSs were studied in vitro in phosphate buffer at pH 5.0, in human seminal plasma and in vivo after intravaginal administration in rabbits. In all of the above-described release studies, the DDSs were shown to release their N-9 or iodine content rapidly, reaching spermicidal levels within 3 min. This was further substantiated by experiments in which the DDSs were introduced in whole human semen containing live spermatozoa. Complete spermicidal kill was obtained in less than 1 min and in less than 3 min from the bilayer tablet and the Triad HGC, respectively. Furthermore, the release of N-9 from the two DDSs was shown to continue for at least 4 hr in buffers (pH 5.0), human seminal fluid, and after intravaginal administration in rabbits. The resulting powder from the coprecipitation of N-9 and PVP (K-30) can be appropriately formulated into a controlled-released HGC or bilayer tablet to produce vaginal controlled-release DDSs which are nonirritating and have the potential to become effective spermicidal products. PMID:10434288

Humic acids (HA) have a colloidal character whose size and negative charge are strictly dependent on surface functional groups. They are able to complex large amount of poorly ordered iron (hydr)oxides in soil as a function of pH and other environmental conditions. Accordingly, with the present study we intend to assess the colloidal properties of Fe(II) coprecipitated with humic acids (HA) and their effect on Fe hydroxide crystallinity under abiotic oxidation and order of addition of both Fe(II) and HA. TEM, XRD and DRS experiments showed that Fe-HA consisted of Ferrihydrite with important structural variations. DLS data of Fe-HA at acidic pH showed a bimodal size distribution, while at very low pH a slow aggregation process was observed. Electrophoretic zeta-potential measurements revealed a negative surface charge for Fe-HA macromolecules, providing a strong electrostatic barrier against aggregation. Under alkaline conditions HA chains swelled, which resulted in an enhanced stabilization of the colloid particles. The increasing of zeta potential and size of the Fe-HA macromolecules, reflects a linear dependence of both with pH. The increase in the size and negative charge of the Fe-HA precipitate seems to be more affected by the ionization of the phenolic acid groups, than by the carboxylic acid groups. The main cause of negative charge generation of Fe/HA is due to increased dissociation of phenolic groups in more expanded structure. The increased net negative surface potential induced by coprecipitation with Ferrihydrite and the correspondent changes in configuration of the HA could trigger the inter-particle aggregation with the formation of new negative surface. The Fe-HA coprecipitation can reduce electrosteric repulsive forces, which in turn may inhibit the aggregation process at different pH. Therefore, coprecipitation of Ferrihydrite would be expected to play an important role in the carbon stabilization and persistence not only in organic soils, but

A simple coprecipitation technique was used successfully to synthesize fine powders of MgNb{sub 2}O{sub 6} (MN) phase. An aqueous mixture of ammonium carbonate and ammonium hydroxide was used to precipitate Mg{sup 2+} and Nb{sup 5+} cations as carbonate and hydroxide respectively under basic conditions. This precipitate on heating at 750 deg. C produced MN powders. For comparison MN powders were prepared by the traditional solid state method. The phase content and the lattice parameters were studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology of the particles were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Borate has been used for various industrial products and excessive dose of boron is harmful to humans. We investigated the removal of borate by direct coprecipitation with Mg/Al layered double hydroxide. In this study, the maximum removal of boron was 90% when Mg 30 mmol and Al 15 mmol at pH = 10 were used for 498 mg/l as B. The boron adsorption isotherms could be fitted to Langmuir model. The calculated constant Ws, saturation limit of boron adsorption, is 25 ± 2 mg/g and it is larger than that of ion exchange reaction (Ws = 15±1 mg/g).

A yarn carrier apparatus particularly suited for use in braiding machinery or the like due to its capability of continuous yarn feeding and retraction of long lengths of yarn. The yarn carrier apparatus comprises a yarn supply spool which is rotatably mounted within the housing, a spring motor also mounted within the housing and operatively connected to the yarn supply spool through a mechanical transmission assembly which is adapted to multiply rotational movement between the first element of the gear assembly operatively connected to the spring motor and the final element of the gear assembly operatively connected to the yarn supply spool. The spring motor is adapted to tension the yarn during both feeding and retraction thereof, and it is further adapted to periodically rotatably slip within the housing and partially unwind so as to allow for continuous withdrawal of a long length of yarn without the spring motor becoming fully wound and preventing further yarn retraction.

Coprecipitation of Fe oxide and organic matter in redox dynamic sediments controls the net retention and form of Cu in the solid precipitates. In this study, coprecipitation and sorption of Cu with organomineral precipitation solids formed at different Fe:organic carbon (OC) ratios were compared for net Cu removal and extractability. As more humic acid was present during precipitation of Fe, TEM images indicated smaller Fe oxide particles formed within an organic matrix as expected. In coprecipitation reactions, as the ratio of Fe:OC decreased, more Cu was removed from solution at pH 5.5 and below. However, in sorption reactions, there was an inhibition of Cu removal at low OC concentrations. As the pH increased from 5.5 to 7 and as solution phase OC concentration increased, more Cu remained dissolved in both coprecipitation and sorption reactions. The addition of Ca(2+), glycine, histidine and citric acid or lowering the pH resulted in more extractable Cu from the coprecipitation compared with the sorption reactions. The variations in Cu extraction were likely due to a combination of a more amorphous structure in CPT products, and the relative abundance of available Fe oxide or OC binding sites. This has implications for the assumption of additivity in binding phases and for researchers conducting binding or exposure experiments. PMID:26766365

An on-line matrix separation/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method is proposed for the determination of trace amounts of phosphorus in high purity tantalum metal, tantalum (V) oxide, and tantalum pentaethoxide. In the present method, the matrix tantalum in the sample solution was adsorbed on the anion exchange resin, and phosphorus (phosphate ion) was eluted with the carrier solution of HF and HNO3 mixture. Then, the effluent solution was subsequently mixed with bismuth solution and aqueous ammonia solution to coprecipitate phosphate together with bismuth hydroxide. The precipitate formed was collected on the in-line membrane filter to wash out nitric acid with pure water, and then dissolved with hydrochloric acid. The obtained phosphorus sample solution was introduced directly into the nebulizer of ICP-MS for the determination of phosphorus. Phosphorus was determined at the molecular ion signal of 31P16O+ (m/z 47). The detection limit (3sigma) of phosphorus in the present method was 1.3 ng mL(-1) as the sample solution basis, and the relative standard deviation for 30 ng mL(-1) of phosphorus in the standard solution was 4.3% in the replicate measurements (n=11). The present method was applied to the analysis of high purity tantalum materials. The concentrations of phosphorus in tantalum samples were in fairly good agreement with those obtained by glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS). PMID:11939629

Dielectric spectra and magnetization hysteresis loops were used to investigate the grain size effect with temperature on the electrical and magnetic response of co-precipitation derived spinel (Ni{sub 0.5}Zn{sub 0.5})Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (NZFO) ceramics. Remarkable dielectric relaxation phenomena of non-Debye type have been observed in each NZFO ceramics as confirmed by two kinds of Cole-Cole plots of the 1100 Degree-Sign C sintered samples, mainly due to the electron-hopping mechanism between n-type and p-type carriers and interfacial ion effect when applied an increase of temperature. The high and low response of grain and grain-boundary regions were determined by modeling the impedance experimental results on two equivalent RC circuits taking into account grain deep trap states. By employing the modified Arrhenius equation, activation energy values of different sintering temperatures were calculated and analyzed in combination with oxygen vacancy. In addition, the magnetization of various sintering temperature samples is dominated by cation distribution and surface effect in different particle ranges.

One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The carrier includes a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are placed and conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. A plurality of conductive clip attachment parts are attached in a permanent manner to the conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. A plurality of contact clips are attached in a removable manner to the clip attachment parts. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and conductively connecting the substrates with the conductive lines. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The carrier includes a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are placed and conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. A plurality of conductive clip attachment parts are attached in a permanent manner to the conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. A plurality of contact clips are attached in a removable manner to the clip attachment parts. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and conductively connecting the substrates with the conductive lines. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

Uptake and molecular speciation of dissolved Hg during formation of Al- or Fe-ettringite-type and high-pH phases were investigated in coprecipitation and sorption experiments of sulfate-cement treatments used for soil and sediment remediation. Ettringite and minor gypsum were identified by XRD as primary phases in Al systems, whereas gypsum and ferrihydrite were the main products in Hg-Fe precipitates. Characterization of Hg-Al solids by bulk Hg EXAFS, electron microprobe, and microfocused-XRF mapping indicated coordination of Hg by Cl ligands, multiple Hg and Cl backscattering atoms, and concentration of Hg as small particles. Thermodynamic predictions agreed with experimental observations for bulk phases, but Hg speciation indicated lack of equilibration with the final solution. Results suggest physical encapsulation of Hg as a polynuclear chloromercury(II) salt in ettringite as the primary immobilization mechanism. In Hg-Fe solids, structural characterization indicated Hg coordination by O atoms only and Fe backscattering atoms that is consistent with inner-sphere complexation of Hg(OH)(2)(0) coprecipitated with ferrihydrite. Precipitation of ferrihydrite removed Hg from solution, but the resulting solid was sufficiently hydrated to allow equilibration of sorbed Hg species with the aqueous solution. Electron microprobe XRF characterization of sorption samples with low Hg concentration reacted with cement and FeSO(4) amendment indicated correlation of Hg and Fe, supporting the interpretation of Hg removal by precipitation of an Fe(III) oxide phase. PMID:22594782

Colloid stability is of high importance in a multitude of fields ranging from food science to biotechnology. There is strong interest in studying the stability of small particles (of a size of a few nanometres) with complex surface structures, that make them resemble the complexity of proteins and other natural biomolecules, in the presence of oppositely charged nanoparticles. While for nanoparticles with homogeneously charged surfaces an abrupt precipitation has been observed at the neutrality of charges, data are missing about the stability of nanoparticles when they have more complex surface structures, like the presence of hydrophobic patches. To study the role of these hydrophobic patches in the stability of nanoparticles a series of negatively charged nanoparticles has been synthesized with different ratios of hydrophobic content and with control on the structural distribution of the hydrophobic moiety, and then titrated with positively charged nanoparticles. For nanoparticles with patchy nanodomains, the influence of hydrophobic content was observed together with the influence of the size of the nanoparticles. By contrast, for nanoparticles with a uniform distribution of hydrophobic ligands, size changes and hydrophobic content did not play any role in co-precipitation behaviour. A comparison of these two sets of nanoparticles suggests that nanodomains present at the surfaces of nanoparticles are playing an important role in stability against co-precipitation.

This paper describes the successful development of the co-precipitation technique for the preparation of a high-sensitive dysprosium-doped calcium sulphate (CaSO(4):Dy) thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) phosphor with dosimetric glow peak at approximately 230 degrees C which is a desired development in the field of radiation protection dosimetry. The main advantages of this co-precipitation technique over the conventional recrystallisation technique of phosphor preparation are: (i) preparation time is very less; (ii) quantity of sulphuric acid evaporated is insignificant; (iii) higher TL sensitivity -20% more than the present material; (iv) better glow curve structure; (v) lesser glow peak shift and better linearity to gamma and (vi) uniform crystal morphology and lower grain size-all grains are mostly cuboidal in shape, quite uniform and small (average size about 25 microm), suitable for manufacturing teflon discs in as-prepared form. Optimum values of various parameters in the method of preparation for a batch of 20 g CaSO(4):Dy phosphors to obtain maximum TL sensitivity, with favourable glow curves are studied. PMID:18716066

Fractional crystallization is being considered as a pretreatment method to support supplemental treatment of retrieved single-shell tank (SST) saltcake waste at the Hanford Site. The goal of the fractional crystallization process is to optimize the separation of the radioactivity (radionuclides) from the saltcake waste and send it to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant and send the bulk of the saltcake to the supplemental treatment plant (bulk vitrification). The primary factors that influence the separation efficiency are (1) solid/liquid separation efficiency, (2) contaminant inclusions, and (3) co-precipitation. This is a report of testing for factors (2) and (3) with actual tank waste samples. For the purposes of this report, contaminant inclusions are defined as the inclusion of supernatant, containing contaminating radionuclides, in a pocket within the precipitating saltcake crystals. Co-precipitation is defined as the simultaneous precipitation of a saltcake crystal with a contaminating radionuclide. These two factors were tested for various potential fractional crystallization product salts by spiking the composite tank waste samples (SST Early or SST Late, external letter CH2M-0600248, ''Preparation of Composite Tank Waste Samples for ME-21 Project'') with the desired target salt and then evaporating to precipitate that salt. SST Early represents the typical composition of dissolved saltcake early in the retrieval process, and SST Late represents the typical composition during the later stages of retrieval.

Uptake and molecular speciation of dissolved Hg during formation of Al- or Fe-ettringite-type and high-pH phases were investigated in coprecipitation and sorption experiments of sulfate-cement treatments used for soil and sediment remediation. Ettringite and minor gypsum were identified by XRD as primary phases in Al systems, whereas gypsum and ferrihydrite were the main products in Hg–Fe precipitates. Characterization of Hg–Al solids by bulk Hg EXAFS, electron microprobe, and microfocused-XRF mapping indicated coordination of Hg by Cl ligands, multiple Hg and Cl backscattering atoms, and concentration of Hg as small particles. Thermodynamic predictions agreed with experimental observations for bulk phases, but Hg speciation indicated lack of equilibration with the final solution. Results suggest physical encapsulation of Hg as a polynuclear chloromercury(II) salt in ettringite as the primary immobilization mechanism. In Hg–Fe solids, structural characterization indicated Hg coordination by O atoms only and Fe backscattering atoms that is consistent with inner-sphere complexation of Hg(OH)20 coprecipitated with ferrihydrite. Precipitation of ferrihydrite removed Hg from solution, but the resulting solid was sufficiently hydrated to allow equilibration of sorbed Hg species with the aqueous solution. Electron microprobe XRF characterization of sorption samples with low Hg concentration reacted with cement and FeSO4 amendment indicated correlation of Hg and Fe, supporting the interpretation of Hg removal by precipitation of an Fe(III) oxide phase. PMID:22594782

The coprecipitation of amino acids and oligopeptides with the Zn Al LDH was investigated using phenylalanine (Phe), phenylalanyl-phenylalanine (Phe-Phe), glycyl-phenylalanine (Gly Phe), glycine (Gly), glycyl-glycine (Gly Gly), glycyl-glycyl-glycine (Gly Gly Gly) and N-(N-γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl)-glycine (GSH) as guest species. The coprecipitation behavior of amino acids and oligopeptides was found to be influenced by the solution pH and the kind of their side chain groups, and reached the maximum at pH 8 or 9. The basal spacing, d003, of the Phe, Phe-Phe and GSH/LDH was 1.81, 2.41 and 1.64 nm, supporting that guests were arranged vertical to the LDH basal layer. Acceding to the basal spacing of the Gly, Gly Gly and Gly Gly Gly/LDH (d003=0.84 0.88 nm), these guests were oriented horizontal to the LDH basal layer with the co-intercalated NO3-. Moreover, the amount of Phe-Phe, Gly Gly and Gly Gly Gly intercalated was almost the same as that of Phe and Gly despite increasing the number peptide bond and the molecular size. GSH was intercalated into the LDH interlayer space as GSH oxidized form with bridged LDH layers by their carboxylate groups.

The record of fallout plutonium concentrations in annual bands of corals is strikingly similar to the record of atmospheric deposition of [sup 90]Sr. This similarity implies that corals may incorporate Pu from seawater with a constant partition coefficient (constant discrimination). To investigate physicochemical aspects of Pu incorporation, the following have been coprecipitated with CaCO[sub 3] (calcite and aragonite): oxidized and reduced Pu; americium, thorium, and uranium as analogs to Pu oxidation states (III, IV, VI), respectively; and [sup 210]Pb as a particle-reactive nuclide which may be incorporated by corals with constant discrimination. Americium, thorium, and lead adsorb onto both calcite and aragonite, with more than 99% of the recovered activity found associated with the solids. Uranium exhibits a behavior consistent with lattice substitution. Partition coefficients for U in aragonite range from 1.8 to 9.8 and vary inversely with pH and/or rate of precipitation. The partition coefficient for U in calcite is less than 0.2 and may be as low as 0.046. Reduced Pu sorbs with 3 to 4% remaining in solution. Oxidized Pu may both sorb and coprecipitate. The coral record for Pb and U results primarily from biological, rather than physicochemical, effects; it is likely that the PU coral record also reflects biological discrimination. 50 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs.

Different types of personnel transport for underground mines are considered. In the US the majority are track vehicles powered by batteries or trolley lines. The safety aspects of trolley lines are discussed, together with the problems of track design. Rubber-tyred equipment is increasing in use: it is powered by batteries or diesel. Details of both types of carrier from a number of manufacturers are given in a Table. Bicycles and scooters which run on tracks are briefly mentioned, as well as the chairlift system used in Europe.

Selenium is an environmentally relevant trace element, while the radioisotope 79Se is of particular concern in the context of nuclear waste disposal safety. Oxidized selenium species are relatively soluble and show only weak adsorption at common mineral surfaces. However, a possible sorption mechanism for selenium in the geosphere is the structural incorporation of selenium(IV) (selenite, SeO32-) into calcite (CaCO3). In this study we investigate the interactions between selenite and calcite by a series of experimental and computational methods with the aim to quantify selenite incorporation into calcite at standard conditions. We further seek to describe the thermodynamics of selenite-doped calcite, and selenite coprecipitation with calcite. The structure of the incorporated species is investigated using Se K-edge EXAFS (isotropic and polarization dependent) and results are compared to density functional theory (DFT) calculations. These investigations confirm structural incorporation of selenite into calcite by the substitution of carbonate for selenite, leading to the formation of a Ca(SeO3)X(CO3)(1-X) solid solution. Coprecipitation experiments at low supersaturation indicate a linear increase of the selenite to carbonate ratio in the solid with the increase of the selenite to carbonate ratio in the contact solution. This relationship can be described under the assumption of an ideal mixing between calcite and a virtual CaSeO3 endmember, whose standard Gibbs free energy (G0(CaSeO3_exp) = -953 ± 6 kJ/mol, log10(KSP(CaSeO3_exp)) = -6.7 ± 1.0) is defined by linear extrapolation of the excess free energy from the dilute Henry’s law domain to X(CaSeO3) = 1. In contrast to this experimental result, DFT and force field calculations predict the virtual bulk CaSeO3 endmember to be significantly less stable and more soluble: G0(CaSeO3 bulk) = -912 ± 10 kJ/mol and log10(KSP(CaSeO3_bulk)) = 0.5 ± 1.7. To explain this discrepancy we introduce a thermodynamic adsorption

A telemetry carrier ring for use in a gas turbine engine includes an annular support ring connected to the engine and an annular carrier ring coupled to the support ring, each ring exhibiting different growth characteristics in response to thermal and mechanical loading. The carrier ring is coupled to the support ring by a plurality of circumferentially spaced web members which are relatively thin in an engine radial direction to provide a predetermined degree of radial flexibility. the web members have a circumferential width and straight axial line of action selected to transfer torque and thrust between the support ring and the carrier ring without substantial deflection. The use of the web members with radial flexibility provides compensation between the support ring and the carrier ring since the carrier ring grows at a different rate than the supporting ring.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation and coated by sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) to obtain water-based magnetic fluid. The viscosity of the magnetic fluid was measured using an Ubbelohde viscometer. The effects of magnetic particles volume fraction, surfactant mass fraction and temperature on the viscosity were studied. Experimental results showed that the magnetic fluid with low magnetic particle volume fraction behaved as a Newtonian fluid and the viscosity of the magnetic fluid increased with an increase of the suspended magnetic particles volume fraction. The experimental data was compared with the results of a theoretically derived equation. The viscosity of the magnetic fluid also increased with an increase in surfactant mass portion, while it decreased with increasing temperature. Moreover, the viscosity increased with increasing the magnetic field intensity. Increasing the temperature and the surfactant mass fraction weakened the influence of the magnetic field on the viscosity of the magnetic fluid.

The Savannah River National Laboratory is in the process of investigating factors suspected of impacting catalytic hydrogen generation in the Chemical Process Cell of the Defense Waste Processing Facility, DWPF. Noble metal catalyzed hydrogen generation in simulation work constrains the allowable acid addition operating window in DWPF. This constraint potentially impacts washing strategies during sludge batch preparation. It can also influence decisions related to the addition of secondary waste streams to a sludge batch. Noble metals have historically been added as trim chemicals to process simulations. The present study investigated the potential conservatism that might be present from adding the catalytic species as trim chemicals to the final sludge simulant versus co-precipitating the noble metals into the insoluble sludge solids matrix. Parallel preparations of two sludge simulants targeting the composition of Sludge Batch 3 were performed in order to evaluate the impact of the form of noble metals. Identical steps were used except that one simulant had dissolved palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium present during the precipitation of the insoluble solids. Noble metals were trimmed into the other stimulant prior to process tests. Portions of both sludge simulants were held at 97 C for about eight hours to qualitatively simulate the effects of long term storage on particle morphology and speciation. The simulants were used as feeds for Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank, SRAT, process simulations. The following conclusions were drawn from the simulant preparation work: (1) The first preparation of a waste slurry simulant with co-precipitated noble metals was successful, based on the data obtained. It appears that 99+% of the noble metals were retained in the simulant. (2) Better control of carbonate, hydroxide, and post-wash trim chemical additions is needed before the new method of simulant preparation will be as reproducible as the old method. (3) The two new

In sodium fast reactors (SFR), dissolved oxygen in sodium can be monitored via potentiometric sensors with an yttria-doped thoria electrolyte. Yttria-doped ceria (YDC) was chosen as a surrogate material to validate the process of such sensors. The material must exhibit high density and a fine grain microstructure to be resistant to the corrosion by liquid sodium and thermal shocks. Thus, the oxalic co-precipitation route was chosen to avoid milling steps that could bring impurity incorporation which is suspected to induce grain boundary corrosion in sodium. The powder and sintered pellets examination show that the synthesis conditions are of primary importance on the process yield, the oxalate powder microstructure and, eventually, on the ceramic density and microstructure. The impurity content was limited by controlling the synthesis, calcination, and sintering steps.

Strontium hexaferrite (SrFe12O19) nanoparticles were synthesized by the chemical coprecipitation method and using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a protective agent. The synthesized samples were characterized by differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, particle size analyzer, sedimentation test and vibrating sample magnetometer. In the presence of PVA, the single-phase SrFe12O19 nanoparticles were obtained at low temperature of 650 °C. The average particle size of SrFe12O19 precursor was 15 nm, which increased to 61 nm after calcination at 650 °C. The magnetic measurements indicated that PVA decreased coercivity from 4711 to 3216 Oe with particle size reduction. The results showed that PVA as a protective agent could be effective in decreasing the particle size, calcination temperature and coercivity of SrFe12O19 nanoparticles.

Ca-alginate hydrogel beads of Lagenaria siceraria (LS) fruit extract using co-precipitates of LS seed starch and colloidal silicon dioxide (SSD) as filler was studied. Effect of different concentrations of SSD on the encapsulation efficiency, size of microspheres, moisture content and antioxidant potential of the microspheres comprising extract was determined. The chemical composition of ethanolic extract was analysed by LC-MS. The prepared microspheres were characterized by SEM, FTIR and XRD. The incorporation of filler in hydrogel beads modified the micromeritic properties and release profile of LS fruit extract. It is observed that fillers have improved the stability of antioxidant potential of the extract. The application of this technology would improve the stability of LS fruit extract in pharmaceutical and food products. PMID:24556118

Mg2B2O5 whiskers with high aspect ratio were synthesized by coprecipitation and sintering process using MgCl2·6H2O, H3BO3, and NaOH as raw materials and KCl as a flux. Their formation process was investigated by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microcopy (SEM). It is found that the products synthesized at 832°C are monoclinic Mg2B2O5 whiskers with a diameter of 200-400 nm and a length of 50-80 μm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analyses show that the whiskers obtained at 832°C are single crystalline and grow along with the [010] direction. The growth mechanism of Mg2B2O5 whiskers was also presented.

Synthesis of binary magnesium-transition metal oxides, MgM2O4 (M: Cr, Mn, Fe, Co) and MgNiO2, was performed by calcination at relatively low temperatures of 500 and 750 °C for 24 h through inverse coprecipitation of carbonate hydroxide precursors. The important roles of the precipitation agent, sodium carbonate, were clarified by considering equilibria in an aqueous solution. The structure parameters of the obtained binary magnesium-transition metal oxide powders, specifically the occupancy of atomic sites, were evaluated from synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) profiles by Rietveld refinement in addition to the magnetic properties at room temperature. The present work provides general guidelines for low-cost and high-volume synthesis of complex oxides, which are easily decomposed at high temperatures.

A precipitate of cobalt oxyhydroxides formed by bubbling oxygen through a dilute solution of Co(NO3)2 held at pH 9.0 and 25??C was aged for 23 months in contact with the original solution, with access to atmospheric oxygen. Co3O4 and CoOOH were identified in the precipitate by X-ray diffraction. Chemical equilibria involving these solids were evaluated by measurements of solution pH and Co2+ activities and by redox potential measurements and gave a ??GcoOOH0 of -92.3 ?? 0.5 kcal/mole. This value and other thermodynamic data show relative feasibility of hypothetical reaction steps and changes in reaction paths during automated coprecipitation titrations and subsequent aging of a precipitate that finally contained ??MnOOH, MnO2 (birnessite) and CoOOH. ?? 1985.

A Low temperature method for synthesizing triclinic FeVO4 nanoparticles is manifested through co-precipitation method. Three precursor materials taken for the synthesis are Iron Nitrate, Ammonium Metavanadate and NaOH along with DI water. The attained precipitate was dried at 100°C for overnight and calcined at different temperatures ranging from 400°C - 650°C. The achieved powdered materials are studied through X - ray diffraction and found to be in pure single phase of P-1 space group symmetry. The crystallite size measured through Scherrer's method is in found to be in the range of 40-60 nm. Raman spectroscopic studies were carried out at room temperature. Raman spectra is in agreement with the reported structural data of FeVO4.

A personnel emergency carrier vehicle is disclosed which includes a vehicle frame supported on steerable front wheels and driven rear wheels. A supply of breathing air is connected to quick connect face mask coupling and umbilical cord couplings for supplying breathing air to an injured worker or attendant either with or without a self-contained atmospheric protection suit for protection against hazardous gases at an accident site. A non-sparking hydraulic motion is utilized to drive the vehicle and suitable direction and throttling controls are provided for controlling the delivery of a hydraulic driving fluid from a pressurized hydraulic fluid accumulator. A steering axis is steerable through a handle to steer the front wheels through a linkage assembly.

Ciprofloxacin is a drug active against a broad spectrum of aerobic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, for the therapy of ocular infections. It requires frequent administrations owing to rapid ocular clearance and it is a good candidate for ocular controlled release formulations. The preparation of such drug release systems is still a challenge. Ionic interactions between ciprofloxacin and the polyelectrolytes chondroitin sulfate or lambda carrageenan result in coprecipitates that can act as microparticulate controlled release systems from which the drug is released after being displaced by the medium's ions. In some formulations, Carbopol was added to improve the mucoadhesive properties. The aim of this research was the study of the influence of the technological parameters of the preparation method of coprecipitates on their particle size, with the goal of achieving particles engineered with a size suitable for the ocular administration. Technological parameters taken into account were: concentration of drug and polymer solutions utilized for the preparation of interaction products, possible use of surfactants (kind and concentration), temperature of the solutions and stirring during the process of preparation of the coprecipitates. Preliminary stability study tests were carried out to further characterize the leader formulation. Particle size in suspensions for ocular drug delivery is a critical parameter influencing the quality of the formulation. The results obtained from this study show that chondroitin sulfate coprecipitates present the best characteristics in terms of particle size suitable for ocular administration. A further improvement of the particle size characteristics has been obtained with the addition of surfactants. PMID:26482534

The determination of trace elements in food and soil samples by atomic absorption spectrometry was investigated. A coprecipitation procedure with holmium hydroxide was used for separation-preconcentration of trace elements. Trace amounts of copper(II), manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(ll), chromium(lll), iron(Ill), cadmium(ll), and lead(ll) ions were coprecipitated with holmium hydroxide in 2.0 M NaOH medium. The optimum conditions for the coprecipitation process were investigated for several commonly tested experimental parameters, such as amount of coprecipitant, effect of standing time, centrifugation rate and time, and sample volume. The precision, based on replicate analysis, was lower than 10% for the analytes. In order to verify the accuracy of the method, the certified reference materials BCR 141 R calcareous loam soil and CRM 025-050 soil were analyzed. The procedure was successfully applied for separation and preconcentration of the investigated ions in various food and soil samples. An amount of the solid samples was decomposed with 15 mL concentrated hydrochloric acid-concentrated nitric acid (3 + 1). The preconcentration procedure was then applied to the final solutions. The concentration of trace elements in samples was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. PMID:22816279

In this report, the nanocrystalline BaFe12O19 materials obtained by modified co-precipitation method using Na2CO3 and NaOH as precipitating agent are presented. In the modified co-precipitation process, instead of washing the co-precipitated product in mother liquor with de-ionized water, it was dried in a heating mantle, which has major influence as self flux in the single phase formation of BaFe12O19 phase. The co-precipitated product was annealed at 1000°C for 2 h under ambient pressure to obtain the required BaFe12O19 phase. The results based on XRD, average crystalline size, FT-IR, HR-SEM and EDX are reported. The annealed BaFe12O19 materials showed nanocrystalline single hexagonal phase with average crystalline size of ~ 102 nm. The annealed BaFe12O19 materials show particle sizes in the range of 280 ~ 326 nm and the thickness of ~ 57 nm in the high resolution micro-images.

Ferric oxyhydroxides play an important role in controlling the bioavailability of oxyanions such as arsenate and phosphate in soil. Despite this, little is known about the properties and reactivity of Fe(III)-organic matter phases derived from adsorption (reaction of organic matter (OM) to post-synthesis Fe oxide) versus coprecipitation (formation of Fe oxides in presence of OM). Coprecipitates and adsorption complexes were synthesized at pH 4 using two natural organic matter (NOM) types extracted from forest floor layers (Oi and Oa horizon) of a Haplic Podzol. Iron(III) coprecipitates were formed at initial molar metal-to-carbon (M/C) ratios of 1.0 and 0.1 and an aluminum (Al)-to-Fe(III) ratio of 0.2. Sample properties were studied by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2 gas adsorption, dynamic light scattering, and electrophoretic mobility measurements. Arsenic [As(V)] adsorption to Fe-OM phases was studied in batch experiments (168 h, pH 4, 100 μM As). The organic carbon (OC) contents of the coprecipitates (82-339 mg g-1) were higher than those of adsorption complexes (31 and 36 mg g-1), leading to pronounced variations in specific surface area (9-300 m2 g-1), average pore radii (1-9 nm), and total pore volumes (11-374 mm3 g-1) but being independent of the NOM type or the presence of Al. The occlusion of Fe solids by OM (XPS surface concentrations: 60-82 atom% C) caused comparable pHPZC (1.5-2) of adsorption complexes and coprecipitates. The synthesis conditions resulted in different Fe-OM association modes: Fe oxide particles in 'M/C 0.1' coprecipitates covered to a larger extent the outermost aggregate surfaces, for some 'M/C 1.0' coprecipitates OM effectively enveloped the Fe oxides, while OM in the adsorption complexes primarily covered the outer aggregate surfaces. Despite of their larger OC contents, adsorption of As(V) was fastest to coprecipitates formed at low Fe availability (M/C 0.1) and facilitated by desorption of weakly

Iron oxides represent a substantial fraction of secondary minerals and particularly affect the reactive properties of natural systems in which they formed, e.g. in soils and sediments. Yet, it is still obscure how transient conditions in the solution will affect the properties of in situ precipitated Fe oxides. Transient compositions, i.e. compositions that change with time, arise due to predominant non-equilibrium states in natural systems, e.g. between liquid and solid phases in soils. In this study, we characterize Fe-OM co-precipitates that formed in pH-neutral exfiltrates from anoxic topsoils under transient conditions. We applied soil column outflow experiments, in which Fe2+ was discharged with the effluent from anoxic soil and subsequently oxidized in the effluent due to contact with air. Our study features three novel aspects being unconsidered so far: (i) the transient composition of soil-derived solutions, (ii) that pedogenic Fe oxides instead of Fe salts serve as major source for Fe2+ in soil solution and (iii) the presence of exclusively soil-derived organic and inorganic compounds during precipitation. The experiments were carried out with two topsoil materials that differed in composition, texture and land use. Derived from Mössbauer spectroscopy, broad distributions in quadrupole splittings (0-2 mm s-1) and magnetic hyperfine fields (35-53 T) indicated the presence of low-crystalline ferrihydrite and even lower crystalline Fe phases in all Fe-OM co-precipitates. There was no unequivocal evidence for other Fe oxides, i.e. lepidocrocite and (nano)goethite. The Fe-OM co-precipitates contained inorganic (P, sulfate, silicate, Al, As) and organic compounds (proteins, polysaccharides), which were concurrently discharged from the soils. Their content in the Fe-OM co-precipitates was controlled by their respective concentration in the soil-derived solution. On a molar basis, OC and Fe were the main components in the Fe-OM co-precipitates (OC/Fe ratio = 0

The poorly crystalline Fe(III) hydroxide ferrihydrite is an important sink for organic matter (OM), nutrients and contaminants in soils and sediments. Aqueous Fe(II) is known to catalyze the transformation of ferrihydrite to more crystalline and thus less reactive phases. While coprecipitation of OM with ferrihydrite could be a common process in many environments due to changes in pH, redox potential or ionic strength, little is known about the impacts of coprecipitated OM on Fe(II)-catalyzed ferrihydrite transformation and its consequences for C dynamics. Accordingly, we explored the extent and pathways of Fe(II)-induced transformation of OM-ferrihydrite coprecipitates and subsequent C mobility. Mössbauer spectroscopic results indicated that the coprecipitated OM within ferrihydrite weakened the inter-particle magnetic interactions and decreased average particle size. The coprecipitated OM resulted in diminished Fe(II)-induced ferrihydrite transformation and thus preservation of ferrihydrite. The secondary mineral profiles upon Fe(II) reaction with ferrihydrite were a function of OM content and Fe(II) concentration. At low Fe(II) levels, OM completely inhibited goethite formation and stimulated lepidocrocite formation. At high Fe(II) levels, whereas goethite was formed in the presence of OM, OM reduced the amount of goethite and magnetite formation and increased the formation of lepidocrcocite. The solid-phase C content remained unchanged after reaction, while OM desorpability by H2PO4- was enhanced following reaction of OM-ferrihydrites with aqueous Fe(II). These findings provide insights into the reactivity of natural ferrihydrite containing OM in soils and sediments and the subsequent impact on mineral evolution and C dynamics.

There is an ever-expanding need to provide economical space launch opportunities for relatively small science payloads. To address this need, a team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has designed the Pucksat. The Pucksat is a highly versatile payload carrier structure compatible for launching on a Delta II two-stage vehicle as a system co-manifested with a primary payload. It is also compatible for launch on the Air Force Medium Class EELV. Pucksat's basic structural architecture consists of six honeycomb panels attached to six longerons in a hexagonal manner and closed off at the top and bottom with circular rings. Users may configure a co-manifested Pucksat in a number of ways. As examples, co-manifested configurations can be designed to accommodate dedicated missions, multiple experiments, multiple small deployable satellites, or a hybrid of the preceding examples. The Pucksat has fixed lateral dimensions and a downward scaleable height. The dimension across the panel hexagonal flats is 62 in. and the maximum height configuration dimension is 38.5 in. Pucksat has been designed to support a 5000 lbm primary payload, with the center of gravity located no greater than 60 in. from its separation plane, and to accommodate a total co-manifested payload mass of 1275 lbm.

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Air Carrier Groupings Section 04 Section 04... REGULATIONS UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS FOR LARGE CERTIFICATED AIR CARRIERS Section 04 Air Carrier Groupings (a) All large certificated air carriers are placed into three basic air carrier groupings...

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Air Carrier Groupings Section 04 Section 04... REGULATIONS UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS FOR LARGE CERTIFICATED AIR CARRIERS Section 04 Air Carrier Groupings (a) All large certificated air carriers are placed into three basic air carrier groupings...

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Air Carrier Groupings Section 04 Section 04... REGULATIONS UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS FOR LARGE CERTIFICATED AIR CARRIERS Section 04 Air Carrier Groupings (a) All large certificated air carriers are placed into three basic air carrier groupings...

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Air Carrier Groupings Section 04 Section 04... REGULATIONS UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS FOR LARGE CERTIFICATED AIR CARRIERS Section 04 Air Carrier Groupings (a) All large certificated air carriers are placed into three basic air carrier groupings...

A process is given for isolating plutonium present in the tetravalent state in an aqueous solution together with fission products. First, the plutonium and fission products are coprecipitated on a bismuth phosphate carrier. The precipitate obtained is dissolved, and the plutonium in the solution is oxidized to the hexavalent state (with ceric nitrate, potassium dichromate, Pb/ sub 3/O/sub 4/, sodium bismuthate and/or potassium dichromate). Thereafter a carrier for fission products is added (bismuth phosphate, lanthanum fluoride, ceric phosphate, bismuth oxalate, thorium iodate, or thorium oxalate), and the fission-product precipitation can be repeated with one other of these carriers. After removal of the fission-product-containing precipitate or precipitates. the plutonium in the supernatant is reduced to the tetravalent state (with sulfur dioxide, hydrogen peroxide. or sodium nitrate), and a carrier for tetravalent plutonium is added (lanthanum fluoride, lanthanum hydroxide, lanthanum phosphate, ceric phosphate, thorium iodate, thorium oxalate, bismuth oxalate, or niobium pentoxide). The plutonium-containing precipitate is then dissolved in a relatively small volume of liquid so as to obtain a concentrated solution. Prior to dissolution, the bismuth phosphate precipitates first formed can be metathesized with a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium carbonate and plutonium-containing lanthanum fluorides with alkali-metal hydroxide. In the solutions formed from a plutonium-containing lanthanum fluoride carrier the plutonium can be selectively precipitated with a peroxide after the pH was adjusted preferably to a value of between 1 and 2. Various combinations of second, third, and fourth carriers are discussed.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is inefficient at infecting differentiated airway epithelia because of a lack of receptors at the apical surface. We hypothesized that incorporation of AAV in a calcium phosphate coprecipitate would circumvent this barrier. Interestingly, coprecipitation of AAV type 2 improved gene transfer to differentiated human airway epithelia in vitro and to the mouse lung in vivo. These results suggest that delivery of AAV as a CaPi coprecipitate may significantly enhance its utility for gene transfer to the airway epithelia in vivo. PMID:10590145

A series of two-dimensional (2D) interlaced BiOCl/carbon quantum dot composites (denoted as BiOCl/CQD composites) were synthesized by a template-free coprecipitation method at room temperature, and the influence of different particle size distributions of the CQDs on the physiochemical properties and photocatalytic activities of the BiOCl/CQD composites was studied. CQDs can change the morphology and increase the specific surface area of the BiOCl/CQD composites. Moreover, the particle size distribution of the CQDs (CQD loading amount) has some effect on the light absorption, separation of photogenerated charge carriers, and photocatalytic performance of the BiOCl/CQD composites. The optimized size distribution of the CQDs is 50-150 nm. BiOCl/CQD (50-150 nm) composites showed the best improvement of light absorption and the highest photocurrent density of 0.44 μA cm(-2), and exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity with almost 100% 2-nitrophenol removal under visible-light irradiation. The high efficacy of BiOCl/CQD (50-150 nm) composites could be attributed to their excellent light absorption and highly effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers. PMID:26684911

La-substituted hexagonal calcium ferrite, Ca1-XLaXFe12O19 (x varies from 0 to 0.6 with the step of 0.2), was synthesized by applying co-precipitation method, in which the molar ratio of Fe3+/(Ca2++La2+) was 11. The ferrite precursors were prepared from aqueous solution of calcium nitrate, ferric nitrate and lanthanum nitrate by co-precipitation of calcium, iron and lanthanum ions by using an aqueous base of sodium hydroxide (1.5 M) at the pH of 14 and at room temperature. These precursors were calcinated with different amount of La at different temperature of 700, 1100 and 1200 °C for constant calcination time of 1 h in a static air atmosphere. Some tests such as simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were carried out to investigate the thermal behavior, crystallographic properties, morphology and magnetic properties of the precursor powders which were calcinated at different temperatures. The powder XRD patterns of samples which consisted of La as dopant and were calcinated at 1200 °C for 1 h, indicates the formation of calcium hexaferrite and also α-Fe2O3 besides Magnetoplumbite-phase (M-phase). However, the results showed that CaFe4O7 and α-Fe2O3 phases were formed in the sample with the same condition but without using any dopant. The results of SEM showed that the calcium hexaferrite particle were regular hexagonal platelets with the size range of 1-2 μm. The magnetic properties such as maximum magnetization (MMax), remanent magnetization (Mr) and coercivity (Hc) were measured from the hysteresis loops. Low values of coercive field (16.3 kA m-1) and maximum magnetization (50.6 A m2 kg-1) were obtained from calcium hexaferrite particle in optimum amount of La (X=0.4) which calcinated at the temperature of 1200 °C.

Nanotechnology having developed exponentially, the aim has been on therapeutic undertaking, particularly for cancerous disease chemotherapy. Nanostructured lipid carriers have attracted expanding scientific and commercial vigilance in the last couple of years as alternate carriers for the pharmaceutical consignment, particularly anticancer pharmaceuticals. Shortcomings often came across with anticancer mixtures, such as poor solubility, normal tissue toxicity, poor specificity and steadiness, as well as the high incidence rate of pharmaceutical resistance and the rapid degradation, need of large-scale output procedures, a fast release of the pharmaceutical from its carrier scheme, steadiness troubles, the residues of the organic solvents utilized in the output method and the toxicity from the polymer with esteem to the carrier scheme are anticipated to be overcome through use of the Nanostructured Lipid Carrier. In this review the benefits, types, drug release modulations, steadiness and output techniques of NLCs are discussed. In supplement, the function of NLC in cancer chemotherapy is presented and hotspots in research are emphasized. It is foreseen that, in the beside future, nanostructured lipid carriers will be further advanced to consign cytotoxic anticancer compounds in a more efficient, exact and protected manner. PMID:23167765

Drug-delivery carriers have the potential to not only treat but also diagnose many diseases; however, they still lack the complexity of natural-particulate systems. Cell-based therapies using tumor-targeting T cells and tumor-homing mesenchymal stem cells have given researchers a means to exploit the characteristics exhibited by innate-biological entities. Similarly, immune evasion by pathogens has inspired the development of natural polymers to cloak drug carriers. The ‘marker-of-self’ CD47 protein, which is found ubiquitously on mammalian cell surfaces, has been used for evading phagocyte clearance of drug carriers. This review will focus on the recent progress of drug carriers co-opting the tricks that cells in nature use to hide safely under the radar of the body’s innate immune system. PMID:23883126

Bi4Ti3O12 nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical coprecipitation and crystallized in the perovskite structure after calcining at 520 °C. The dielectric properties were measured in bulk nanocrystalline compacts with different grain sizes. It was found that there were three peaks in the curves of the dielectric response as a function of temperature. The first peak shifts to higher temperature with decreasing grain size, which is considered to originate from the polarization of the ions in the conductive (Bi2O2)2+ layers across the potential barrier of the weak conductive perovskitelike layers. The second peak, contributed by the polarization of the defect dipoles on the grain surfaces, especially Bii.-Vo″ dipoles, decreases gradually in intensity and finally disappears with increasing grain size. The last one, corresponding to a ferroelectric phase transition temperature, increases at first with decreasing grain size from 56 to 25 nm, then decreases with further decreasing grain size, and the mechanism is correlated with a competing effect of the released internal stresses and the clamped domain walls due to the diffusion of oxygen vacancies.

Zn substituted cobalt ferrite spinels with the general formula Zn(x)Co(1-x)Fe(2)O(4) (with x varying from 0 to 0.5) were synthesized by a co-precipitation method and calcined at 500 °C and 800 °C. It was found that Zn substitution has a big effect in decreasing the Curie temperature (T(c)), from around 440 °C for the undoped sample to ~180 °C with x = 0.5. However, these values were also strongly affected by the pre-calcination temperature of the samples, thus T(C) shifts from ~275 °C for the x = 0.3 sample to ~296 °C after calcination at 500 °C and 800 °C respectively. These effects are due to facilitation of demagnetisation by substitution of the non-magnetic Zn ions and by production of very small nanoparticles. The latter are removed by higher temperature calcinations and so T(C) increases. PMID:21952718

Yttrium oxide (yttria) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by co-precipitation method. As-synthesized and annealed powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-visible (UV-vis), photoluminescence (PL) spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The XRD results show that the as-prepared sample has mixed phase of Y(OH){sub 3} and yttria (Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}). However, cubic yttrium oxide phase alone is found for annealed samples. The strain values are calculated from Williamson-Hall (W-H) plot for annealed samples. SEM and TEM micrographs show that the samples are composed of aggregated nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes. From the UV-vis spectra, it is found that the position of the absorption peak is shifted towards the lower wavelength side when particle size decreases. In the PL spectra, the broad emission bands are observed between 340 and 380 nm and the presence of metal oxide is confirmed by FTIR spectra.

Strontium hexaferrite (SrFe12O19) nanoparticles have been prepared with co-precipitation in aqueous solutions and precipitation in microemulsion system water/SDS/n-butanol/cyclohexane, using iron and strontium nitrates in different molar rations as a starting materials. The mixed Sr2+, Fe3+ hydroxide precursors obtained during the reaction between corresponding metal nitrates and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), which served as a precipitating reagent, were calcined in a wide temperature range, from 350 °C to 1000 °C in a static air atmosphere. The influence of the Sr2+/Fe3+ molar ratio and the calcination temperature to the chemistry of the product formation, its crystallite size, morphology and magnetic properties were investigated. It was found that the formation of single phase SrFe12O19 with relatively high specific magnetization (54 Am2/kg) was achieved at the Sr2+/Fe3+ molar ration of 6.4 and calcination at 800 °C for 3h with heating/cooling rate 5 °C/min. The prepared powders were characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and specific surface area measurements (BET). The specific magnetization (DSM-10, magneto-susceptometer) of the prepared samples was measured.

The aim of this research was to synthesize and develop a new method for the preparation of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles on talc layers using an environmentally friendly process. The Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using the chemical co-precipitation method on the exterior surface layer of talc mineral as a solid substrate. Ferric chloride, ferrous chloride, and sodium hydroxide were used as the Fe3O4 precursor and reducing agent in talc. The talc was suspended in deionized water, and then ferrous and ferric ions were added to this solution and stirred. After the absorption of ions on the exterior surface of talc layers, the ions were reduced with sodium hydroxide. The reaction was carried out under a nonoxidizing oxygen-free environment. There were not many changes in the interlamellar space limits (d-spacing = 0.94−0.93 nm); therefore, Fe3O4 nanoparticles formed on the exterior surface of talc, with an average size of 1.95–2.59 nm in diameter. Nanoparticles were characterized using different methods, including powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. These talc/Fe3O4 nanocomposites may have potential applications in the chemical and biological industries. PMID:23696700

DNA isolation is often the limiting step in genetic analysis using PCR and automated fragment analysis due to low quality or purity of DNA, the need to determine and adjust DNA concentrations after isolation etc. Several protocols have been developed which are either safe and provide good quality DNA or hazardous and provide excellent quality DNA. In this brief communication I describe a new and rapid method of DNA isolation which employs the co-precipitation of protein and polyester, in the presence of acetone, to remove contaminating proteins from a lysed-tissue sample, thus leaving high quality pure DNA. The advantages of this method are increased safety over the phenol:chloroform and the chaotrophic salt methods and increased purity over the salting-out method. Since the concentrations of DNA isolated using this method are relatively consistent regardless of the amount of starting tissue (within limits), adjustments of the DNA concentrations before use as templates in PCR's are not necessary. PMID:16970607

Photoconductivity and photoluminescence studies of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by co-precipitation method capped with thioglycerol are carried out. The effect of annealing at 300°C is also studied. The transmission electron micrograph (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern confirm the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO nanoparticles. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of ZnO NPs shows blue shift of absorption peak as compared to bulk ZnO. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of as-synthesized ZnO NPs show band edge emission as well as blue-green emission. After annealing band edge emission is quenched. Photocurrent is found to vary super linearly at high voltage for both as-synthesized as well as annealed ZnO NPs. Time resolved rise and decay photocurrent spectra are found to exhibit anomalous photoconductivity for as-synthesized as well as annealed ZnO NPs wherein the photocurrent decreases even during steady illumination. PMID:21697003

Copper and zinc hydroxycarbonates with Cu/Zn atomic ratios of 100/0, 92/8, 85/15, 77/23, 67/33, and 50/50 were prepared by the coprecipitation method. The samples with the ratios 100/0, 92/8 and 85/15 were monophasic with the monoclinic P2/sub 1//a malachite structure, whereas the richer zinc samples contained in addition to the malachite phase the orthorhombic B22/sub 1/2 aurichalcite, whose concentration was very low in the 77/23 specimen but increased continuously with zinc content. The amount of aurichalcite in the biphasic powders has been estimated by means of quantitative X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis. With only those X-ray reflections belonging to the malachite structure taken into account, the unit cell constants for all the solid solution hydroxycarbonates have been determined, showing that as a whole the cell volume of malachite decreases continuously with increasing zinc content. This result is related, as shown also by DTA measurements and thermochemical literature data, to an increasing stability of compounds richer in zinc, to increasing covalent effects, and/or to less octahedral site distortion around the metal atoms when zinc substitutes for Cu/sup 2 +/ ions in the malachite lattice. Magnetic susceptibility and thermogravimetric measurements together with diffuse reflectance spectra are also presented and discussed.

A simple coprecipitation method was developed for the determination of tetracyclines (TCs) in surface water and milk by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). Magnesium ion was added into the surface water or the acetonitrile (MeCN) extract of milk. After alkalinization, magnesium hydroxide precipitates which had been formed can be separated from the matrix solution easily by centrifuging and then a dissolution step was performed by adding a small amount of acid. The final solution could be introduced directly into HPLC system for the determination of the analytes. Under optimal conditions, recoveries for the analysis of spiked surface water samples ranged from 83.6% to 95.1% with relative standard deviation of 2.0-5.5%. For milk samples, relative recoveries were 95.9-104.6% with relative standard deviation of 3.4-6.7%. The enrichment factors ranged from 41.5 to 48.1 for 10 mL water samples, and from 3.6 to 4.4 for 1 mL MeCN extracts of milk. Limits of detection ranged from 0.13 to 0.51 ng/mL, and from 3.0 to 8.5 ng/g for four TCs in surface water and milk samples, respectively. PMID:20015512

For the first time, a new ErCl3 alkaline aqueous pseudocapacitor system was demonstrated by designing commercial ErCl3 salt electrode in alkaline aqueous electrolyte, where the materials synthesis and subsequently integrating into practical electrode structures occur at the same spatial and temporal scale. Highly electroactive ErOOH colloids were in-situ crystallized via electric field assisted chemical coprecipitation of ErCl3 in KOH aqueous electrolyte. These electroactive ErOOH colloids absorbed by carbon black and PVDF matrix were highly redox-reactive with higher cation utilization ratio of 86 % and specific capacitance values of 1811F/g, exceeding the one-electron redox theoretical capacitance (Er(3+)↔Er(2+)). We believe that additional two-electron (Er(2+)↔Er) or three-electron (Er(3+)↔Er) reactions can occur in our designed ErCl3 alkaline aqueous pseudocapacitor system. The specific electrode configuration with ErOOH colloids grown among the carbon black/PVDF matrix can create short ion diffusion and electron transfer length to enable the fast and reversible Faradaic reactions. This work shows promising for finding high-performance electrical energy storage systems via designing the colloidal state of electroactive cations with the utilization of in-situ crystallization route. PMID:24973700

Zinc aluminate is well known wide bandgap semiconductor with cubic spinel structure and transparent for wavelength greater than 320 nm. Therefore, ZnAl2O4 can be used for ultraviolet photoelectronic devices. Furthermore, spinel zinc aluminate is useful in many reactions as catalytic support. Moreover, zinc aluminate can be used as second phase in glaze layer of white ceramics to improve wear resistance and to preserve whiteness. In present study cubic spinel zinc aluminate nanoparticles have been synthesized from aqueous solution of Zn(NO3)2.6H2O (0.1 M) and Al(NO3)2.9H2O (0.2 M) using chemical coprecipitation technique. Ammonium hydroxide was used as precipitating agent and pH was maintained between 8 to 9. The precipitated slurry was filtered and washed several times with deionized double distilled water and dried at 110 °C. The fine powder was annealed at different temperatures from 600 °C to 900 °C for 4h in temperature controlled furnace. Structural characterization of annealed samples was carried out via X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD patterns reveal that zinc aluminate samples were cubic spinel nanoparticles and grain size determined by Debye-Scherrer formula is from 5 to 16 nm.

This paper reports the preparation and photocatalytic performance of Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4) by a facile and inexpensive approach. An amorphous BiVO 4 was first prepared by a co-precipitation process from aqueous solutions of Bi(NO 3) 3 and NH 4VO 3 using ammonia. Followed by heating treatment at various temperatures, the amorphous phase converted to crystalline BiVO 4 with a structure between monoclinic and tetragonal scheelite. The crystallization of BiVO 4 occurred at about 523 K, while the nanocrystalline BiVO 4 were formed with a heat-treatment of lower than 673 K. However, when the heat-treatment was carried out at 773 K, the accumulation of nanocrystals to bulk particles was observed. The photocatalytic performances of the materials were investigated by O 2 evolution under visible-light, and MB decomposition under solar simulator. The results demonstrated that the crystalline structure is still the vital factor for the activities of both reactions. However, the crystallinity of BiVO 4 gives a major influence on the activity of O 2 evolution, whereas the surface area, plays an important role for photocatalytic MB decomposition.

Nanoparticles of palladium-doped cerium oxide (Pd-CeO{sub 2}) have been prepared by aqueous co-precipitation resulting in a single phase cubic structure after calcination according to X-ray diffraction (XRD). Inhomogeneous strain, calculated using the Williamson-Hall method, was found to increase with palladium content, and the lattice contracts slightly, relative to nano-cerium oxide, as palladium content is increased. Moreover, high resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals some instances of defective microstructure. These factors combined imply that palladium is in solid solution with CeO{sub 2} in these nanoparticles, but palladium (II) oxide (PdO) peaks in the Raman spectra indicate that solid solution formation is partial and that highly dispersed PdO is present as well as the solid solution. Nevertheless, the addition of palladium to the CeO{sub 2} lattice inhibits the growth of the 6% Pd-CeO{sub 2} particles compared to pure CeO{sub 2} between 600 and 850 C. Activation energies for grain growth of 54 {+-} 7 and 79 {+-} 8 kJ/mol were determined for 6% Pd-CeO{sub 2} and pure CeO{sub 2}, respectively, along with pre-exponential Arrhenius factors of 10 for the doped sample and 600 for pure cerium oxide.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer-carrier system used in a deposition chamber for carrying wafers. The wafer-carrier system includes a base susceptor and a top susceptor nested inside the base susceptor with its wafer-mounting side facing the base susceptor's wafer-mounting side, thereby forming a substantially enclosed narrow channel. The base susceptor provides an upward support to the top susceptor.

A continuous co-precipitation method under steady-state conditions has been investigated for the preparation of nanometer-size layered double hydroxide (LDH) particles using Zn 2Al(OH) 6(CO 3) 0.5·2H 2O as a prototype. The objective was to shorten the preparation time by working without an aging step, using a short and controlled residence time in order to maintain a constant supersaturation level in the reactor and constant particle properties in the exit stream over time. The effects of varying the operating conditions on the structural and textural properties of the LDHs have been studied, including total cation concentration, solvent, residence time, pH and intercalation anion. The products have been characterized using ICP, XRD, FTIR, BET, SEM and TEM. The LDHs prepared by the continuous coprecipitation method have a poorer crystallinity and lower crystallite sizes than those synthesized by the conventional batch method. The results have shown that increasing either cation concentration or the fraction of monoethylene glycol (MEG) in MEG/H 2O mixtures up to 80% (v/v) affect salt solubility and supersaturation, which gives rise to smaller crystallites, larger surface areas and more amorphous compounds. This increase is however limited by the precipitation of zinc and aluminum hydroxides occurring around a total cation concentration of 3.0×10 -1 M in pure water and 3.0×10 -2 M in H 2O/EtOH mixtures. Crystallite size increases with residence time, suggesting a precipitation process controlled by growth. Finally, the continuous coprecipitation method under steady-state conditions has been shown to be a promising alternative to the traditional coprecipitation technique in either pure water or mixed H 2O/MEG solvents.

Nickel manganese hydroxide co-precipitation inside a continuous stirred tank reactor was studied with sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide as the precipitation agents. The ammonium hydroxide concentration had an effect on the primary and secondary particle evolution. The two-step precipitation mechanism proposed earlier was experimentally confirmed. In cell tests, Li- and Mn-rich composite cathode materials based on the hydroxide precursors demonstrated good electrochemical performance in terms of cycle life over a wide range of lithium content.

Single phased hexagonal YMnO{sub 3} (YMO) ceramics have been synthesized via soft chemical co-precipitation route and adopting different sintering conditions. From the X-ray diffraction analysis, ceramic powder sintered at 600 Degree-Sign C was found to be amorphous. Sintering at 1000 Degree-Sign C lead to the formation of single phase YMO belonging to the noncentrosymmetric P6{sub 3}cm space group. Further, dielectric, Leakage and magnetic studies were performed at room temperature.

In this paper, we systematically drew a series of inverse-microemulsion quasi-ternary system phase diagrams of OP-10+C8H17OH+C6H12+brine (CaCl2/BaCl2) by adjusting the ratio of CaCl2 and BaCl2. On this basis, microemulsions have been prepared with seven different molar ratios of Ca2+/Ba2+, and calcium carbonate and barium carbonate coprecipitation products were obtained by reaction with an equimolar amount of sodium carbonate. The influence of barium ion to morphology and composition of nanometer calcium carbonate were studied. These samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM photographs indicated that when the content of Ca2+ was higher, some incomplete large cube of coprecipitation particles were formed in solution, but with the content of Ba2+ increased gradually, they formed a large number of small spherical particles, with the further increase of Ba2+ concentration, the particles mainly had structures of irregular polyhedron eventually. The measurement results of FTIR and XRD indicated that CaCO3 coprecipitation products gradually changed from calcite to the vaterite, eventually turned into being aragonite with the further increase of Ba2+ concentration.

2-line ferrihydrite, a ubiquitous iron oxy-hydroxide found in natural and engineered systems, is an efficient sink for the toxic metalloids such as arsenic. While much is known of the excellent capacity of ferrihydrite to coprecipitate arsenate, there is little information concerning the long-term stability of arsenate-accumulated ferrihydrite. By thermal treatment methodology, the expedited transformation of ferrihydrite in the presence of coprecipitated arsenate was studied at varying As/Fe ratios (0-0.5) and different heating temperature (40, 300, 450, 600°C). Pure and transformed minerals were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Arsenate was found to retard the thermal transformation of ferrihydrite. The extents of ferrihydrite transformation to hematite decreased with increasing As/Fe ratios, but increased at a higher heating temperature. It is predicted that the coprecipitated arsenate can stabilize the amorphous iron oxides against the transformation to more crystalline solids. Arsenate concentration appears to play an important role in this predicted long-term stability. PMID:25433978

The [Ba+Fe]-coprecipitation method is applied to measure gross alpha activity for radiological examination of drinking water in the laboratory. This method collects all the alpha-emitting radionuclides of interest (natural alpha emitters and transuranium elements) in a precipitate on a filter. This paper describes an investigation of sample pretreatment of the precipitate collected by the [Ba+Fe]-coprecipitation method for gross alpha activity determination. The aim of this preliminary work is to be a starting point to develop simple and rapid radiochemical procedures for specific alpha emitters (polonium, radium, thorium, uranium, plutonium and americium), in contrast to the sophisticated, expensive and time-consuming alpha spectrometry method. The sample pretreatment aspects considered include quantitative [Ba+Fe]-coprecipitation, two methods for precipitate treatment (leaching and complete destruction of the filter), and the determination of the alpha-emitting proportions present in the barium sulfate precipitate and acid solution obtained after precipitate treatment. Furthermore, a radiochemical procedure for (226)Ra determination was performed and finally, the sample pretreatment proposed in this work was summarized. PMID:25474768

Arsenic (As) co-precipitation is one of the major processes controlling As solubility in soils and waters. When As is co-precipitated with Al and Mg, the possible formation of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and other nanocomposites can stabilize As in their structures thus making this toxic element less available. We investigated the nature and reactivity of Mg-Al-arsenate [As(V)] co-precipitated LDHs formed in solution affected by As concentration, pH, and aging. At the beginning of the co-precipitation process, poorly crystalline LDH and non-crystalline Al(Mg)-oxides form. Prolonged aging of the samples promotes crystallization of LDHs, evidenced by an increase in As K XANES intensities and XRD peak intensities. During aging Al- and/or Mg-oxides are likely transformed by dissolution/re-precipitation processes into more crystalline but still defective LDHs. Surface area, chemical composition, reactivity of the precipitates, and anion exchange properties of As(V) in the co-precipitates are influenced by pH, aging, and As concentration. This study demonstrates that (i) As(V) retards or inhibits the formation and transformation of LDHs and (ii) more As(V) is removed from solution if co-precipitated with Mg and Al than by sorption onto well crystallized LDHs. PMID:26241870

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the primary enforcement agency protecting the nation"s ports of entry. CBP is enhancing its capability to interdict the illicit import of nuclear and radiological materials and devices that may be used by terrorists. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is providing scientific and technical support to CBP in their goal to enable rapid deployment of nuclear and radiation detection systems at U. S. ports of entry to monitor 100% of the incoming international traffic and cargo while not adversely impacting the operations or throughput of the ports. The U.S. ports of entry include the following vectors: land border crossings, seaports, airports, rail crossings, and mail and express consignment courier facilities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined that a screening solution was needed for Seaport cargo containers being transported by Straddle Carriers (straddle carriers). A stationary Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM) for Straddle Carriers (SCRPM) is needed so that cargo containers can be scanned while in transit under a Straddle Carrier. The Straddle Carrier Portal operational impacts were minimized by conducting a time-motion study at the Port, and adaptation of a Remotely Operated RPM (RO-RPM) booth concept that uses logical lighting schemes for traffic control, cameras, Optical Character Recognition, and wireless technology.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the primary enforcement agency protecting the nation’s ports of entry. CBP is enhancing its capability to interdict the illicit import of nuclear and radiological materials and devices that may be used by terrorists. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is providing scientific and technical support to CBP in their goal to enable rapid deployment of nuclear and radiation detection systems at U. S. ports of entry to monitor 100% of the incoming international traffic and cargo while not adversely impacting the operations or throughput of the ports. The U.S. ports of entry include the following vectors: land border crossings, seaports, airports, rail crossings, and mail and express consignment courier facilities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined that a screening solution was needed for Seaport cargo containers being transported by Straddle Carriers (straddle carriers). A stationary Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM) for Straddle Carriers (SCRPM) is needed so that cargo containers can be scanned while in transit under a Straddle Carrier. The Straddle Carrier Portal operational impacts were minimized by conducting a time-motion study at the Port, and adaptation of a Remotely Operated RPM (RO-RPM) booth concept that uses logical lighting schemes for traffic control, cameras, Optical Character Recognition, and wireless technology.

Insights from the adverse effect of humic acid (HA) on arsenate removal with hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) coprecipitation can further our understanding of the fate of As(V) in water treatment process. The motivation of our study is to explore the competitive adsorption mechanisms of humic acid and As(V) on HFO on the molecular scale. Multiple complementary techniques were used including macroscopic adsorption experiments, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, flow-cell attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) measurement, and charge distribution multisite complexation (CD-MUSIC) modeling. The As(V) removal efficiency was reduced from over 95% to about 10% with the increasing HA concentration to 25 times of As(V) mass concentration. The SERS analysis excluded the HA-As(V) complex formation. The EXAFS results indicate that As(V) formed bidentate binuclear surface complexes in the presence of HA as evidenced by an As-Fe distance of 3.26-3.31 angstroms. The in situ ATR-FTIR measurements show that As(V) replaces surface hydroxyl groups and forms innersphere complex. High concentrations of HA may physically block the surface sites and inhibit the As(V) access. The adsorption of As(V) and HA decreased the point of zero charge of HFO from 7.8 to 5.8 and 6.3, respectively. The CD-MUSIC model described the zeta potential curves and adsorption edges of As(V) and HA reasonably well. PMID:25076514

The western part of the Chalkidiki peninsula in Northern Greece is a geothermally active area that contains high levels of naturally derived arsenic in its alkaline groundwaters (up to 3760 μg/L). Near wells, equilibration of these groundwaters with atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to the precipitation of travertines that contain very high levels of arsenic (up to 913 mg/kg). To determine the mechanism of arsenic uptake in these travertines, we analyzed two different types of travertine from this region using both bulk and micro-focused X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS and μ-XAS) and micro-focused X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ-XRF). Bulk XAS showed that in all of the studied samples arsenic is present in the pentavalent oxidation state (arsenate). μ-XRF analyses indicated that arsenic is closely associated with the calcite matrix and that it generally does not correlate well with iron. The arsenic K-edge XAS spectra of all samples closely matched each other and closely resembled a reference spectrum for arsenate coprecipitated with calcite (rather than adsorbed or pure calcium arsenate). Iron on the other hand was found to be mainly present as a constituent of clay minerals, of presumably detrital origin, suggesting that iron-(hydr)oxides were not sufficiently abundant to act as major scavengers for arsenic in the Chalkidiki travertines. We estimated that calcite in these travertines could sequester at least 25% of aqueous arsenic in the form of As(V) and thus immobilize a substantial part of arsenic present in the geothermal groundwaters. These results may also be relevant for other areas where geothermal groundwaters carry arsenic to the surface and possibly as well for arsenic geochemistry in other environments with CO2-enriched water.

BaFe12O19 particles with high magnetization were produced using an acetone-aided coprecipitation process. An aqueous solution of iron and barium nitrates, in an Fe3+/Ba2+ molar ratio of 12, was added in a stirred precipitation liquid medium composed of H2O, CH3(CO)CH3 and NH4OH. After reacting metallic ions with ammonia, the precipitates were formed, centrifugally filtered, freeze dried and calcined. Effects of amount of the acetone in the precipitation liquid medium on the formation of crystalline BaFe12O19 were investigated. The presence of acetone in the precipitation liquid medium can greatly promote formation of the crystalline BaFe12O19 at temperature as low as 650 °C and can enhance magnetization of the derived particles. On the other hand, raising the calcination temperature can effectively accelerate development of crystallite morphology and magnetic characters of the barium hexaferrites. While the barium hexaferrite powder obtained without acetone additions and calcined at 1000 °C had magnetization (measured at 50 kOe; M(50 kOe)) of 63.5 emu/g, remanence magnetization (Mr) of 31.3 emu/g and coercivity (Hc) of 4.7 kOe, the single magnetic domain size BaFe12O19 powder with M(50 kOe) of 70.6 emu/g, Mr of 34.4 emu/g and Hc of 3.7 kOe was produced at 1000 °C, using a precipitation liquid medium of 64 vol% acetone.

TiO2 freeze-dried precursor powders were synthesized using a coprecipitation route that includes titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) as initial material prepared at 348 K (75 °C) and pH 7. Differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetry (DSC/TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high resolution TEM were utilized to characterize the thermal behavior and phase transformation of the TiO2 freeze-dried precursor powders after calcination. The main compound of the TiO2 freeze-dried precursor powders was TiO2·H2O based on a TG analysis conducted at a heating rate of 20 K (20 °C)/min. The anatase TiO2 (a-TiO2) first appeared at 473 K (200 °C), then from a-TiO2 transformed to rutile TiO2 (r-TiO2) at 773 K (500 °C). The activation energy of a-TiO2 formation from TiO2 freeze-dried precursor powders was 242.4 ± 33.9 kJ/mol, whereas, the activation energy of phase transformation from a-TiO2 to r-TiO2 was 267.5 ± 19.1 kJ/mol. The crystallite size of a-TiO2 grew from 3.5 to 23.2 nm when raising the calcination temperature from 473 K to 873 K (200 °C to 600 °C). In addition, the crystallite size of r-TiO2 increased from 17.4 to 48.1 nm when calcination temperature increased from 773 K to 1073 K (500 °C to 800 °C).

A series of Gd-substituted Ba hexaferrites with nominal formula (Ba1-xGdx)Oṡ5.25 Fe2O3 (x=0-0.30) were prepared by the chemical coprecipitation method from nitrate precursors and heating at T =800-1200°C for 2h. The samples have been examined by x-ray diffraction, vibrating-sample magnetometer, and scanning electron microscopy methods. Gd substituted samples form single phase materials with the M-type hexaferrite structure at all heating temperatures, in the range of x ⩽0.10-0.20. The saturation magnetization (at 1.8T) varies slightly with x in most cases and, for x =0.05-0.10, it increases up to 66.7Am2/kg, exceeding the value of the unsubstituted hexaferrite. A strong enhancement of the coercivity is observed for all substituted samples, with maximum values Hc=457kA/m for the single-phase x =0.10 sample annealed at 1000°C and Hc=477kA/m for the x =0.25 sample annealed at 1100°C which contains Fe2O3 and GdFeO3 impurities. As the variation of coercivity with either substitution rate (x ) or annealing temperature is not monotonic, three different factors may account for the high coercivities that are obtained: (a) an inhibition of grain growth due to the presence of Gd, (b) a possible inherent effect on magnetocrystalline anisotropy, especially for single phase samples, and (c) a microstructural effect of secondary phases.

Cu-ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method and were annealed at different temperatures ranging from 400 to l000°C in air for 4 hours. The as-prepared sample and the sample annealed at 400°C showed small peaks of cubic Cu-ferrite in X-ray diffraction studies. For the intermediate temperature 600°C, some additional peaks of α-Fe2O3 were observed. As the annealing temperature increased further only tetragonal Cu-ferrite peaks were observed. In all the samples some traces of CuO was noted. Grain size was increased from 2lnm for the as prepared sample to 42nm for the sample annealed at l000°C. Spontaneous magnetization value was found to be very small for the as prepared sample and it was increased monotonically with the increase in annealing temperature. Maximum magnetization of 29.7emu/g was observed at 300K for the sample annealed at l000°C. The remanent magnetization was increased with the increase in annealing temperature up to 900°C and then decreased whereas for the coercivity a peak was observed for the sample annealed at 800°C. The highest coercivity of l402 Oe was observed at 300K for the sample annealed at 800°C. As the measurement temperature decreased from 300K to 60K, magnetization and coercivity values were increased. The observed magnetic behaviour may be understood on the basis of phase transformation, grain growth with the increase in annealing temperature and reduced thermal energy at low measurement temperature.

A data transmission system includes a transmission medium which has a certain propagation delay time over its length. A number of data stations are successively coupled to the transmission medium for communicating with one another. Each of the data stations includes a transmitter for originating signals, each signal beginning with a carrier of a duration which is at least the propagation delay time of the transmission medium. Each data station also includes a receiver which receives other signals from other data stations and inhibits operation of the transmitter at the same data station when a carrier of another signal is received.

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Adoption of provisions of one carrier by... Adoption of provisions of one carrier by another carrier. When one carrier adopts the tariffs of another... of the adopting carrier and the effective date of the adoption. Further, each adopted fare shall...

Currently, the co-precipitation of arsenate with ferric iron at molar ratios Fe(III)/As(V) ≥ 3 by lime neutralization produces tailings solids that are stable under oxic conditions. However not much is known about the stability of these hazardous co-precipitates under anoxic conditions. These can develop in tailings storage sites by the action of co-discharged reactive sulfides, organic reagent residuals or bacterial activity. The ferric matrix can then undergo reductive dissolution reactions, which could release arsenic into the pore water. Co-ions like aluminum could provide a redox-immune sink to scavenge any mobilized arsenic as a result of reduction of ferric. As such, in this work Fe(III)/As(V) = 4 and aluminum substituted Fe(III)/Al(III)/As(V) = 2/2/1 co-precipitates were produced in a mini continuous co-precipitation process circuit and subjected to excess sulfide addition under inert gas to evaluate their stability. It was found that the ferric-arsenate co-precipitate could retain up to 99% (30 mg/L in solution) of its arsenic content despite the high pH (10.5) and extremely reducing (Eh co-precipitates may offer better resistance to reductive destabilization over the long term than all iron co-precipitates. PMID:26950022

Biotechnology is undergoing a period of rapid and sustained growth, a trend which is expected to continue as the general population ages and as new medical treatments and products are conceived. As pharmaceutical and biomedical companies continue to search for improved methods of production and, for answers to basic research questions, they will seek out new avenues of research. Space processing on the International Space Station (ISS) offers such an opportunity! Space is rapidly becoming an industrial laboratory for biotechnology research and processing. Space bioprocessing offers exciting possibilities for developing new pharmaceuticals and medical treatments, which can be used to benefit mankind on Earth. It also represents a new economic frontier for the private sector. For over eight years, the thermal carrier development team at SHOT has been working with government and commercial sector scientists who are conducting microgravity experiments that require thermal control. SHOT realized several years ago that the hardware currently being used for microgravity thermal control was becoming obsolete. It is likely that the government, academic, and industrial bioscience community members could utilize SHOT's hardware as a replacement to their current microgravity thermal carrier equipment. Moreover, SHOT is aware of several international scientists interested in utilizing our space qualified thermal carrier. SHOT's economic financing concept could be extremely beneficial to the international participant, while providing a source of geographic return for their particular region. Beginning in 2000, flight qualified thermal carriers are expected to be available to both the private and government sectors. .

Whey is treated very often as a waste which pollutes the natural environment. Whey which is a valuable source of protein, lacrose, vitamins and mineral salts should be utilized completely. The present paper is a proposal of whey drying on porous carriers. It is proved experimentally that the proposed drying method guarantees good product quality.

A mixed kinetic/equilibrium steady state model of trace-element co-precipitation in coral skeleton is presented, and tested against high spatial resolution observations of coral trace-element composition made previously by LA-ICP-MS. The model is implemented in PHREEQC, and simulates physicochemical precipitation from a small pocket of seawater which is isolated by the coral, and modified by enzyme exchange of 2 H+ for Ca2+. The model assumes that all aqueous trace-element species in the calcifying fluid are in full equilibrium and that selected trace element species compete kinetically for precipitation with the major aqueous species (Ca2+ for cation substituents and CO32- for anion substituents). No equilibrium is assumed for the CaCO3 skeleton. Carbon is supplied to the system by diffusion of CO2 into the high-pH calcifying fluid, and trace elements are continuously replenished through the addition of fresh seawater. The rate at which the coral operates the enzyme pump, and the rate at which it replenishes the seawater component are independent variables, and the steady state trace-element composition of the skeleton/calcifying fluid are evaluated over a 2D grid of variables spanning realistic rates of pumping and seawater influx. It is assumed that variations in the trace element composition of the coral skeleton are the result of shifts in the steady-state caused by changes to these variables. The results indicate an unexpected complexity in the response of the trace elements. First order predictions suggest that increasing the rate of calcification by increasing the enzyme pumping should result in a mutual dilution of most trace element species by pumped Ca2+ and diffused CO2. However, for high rates of pumping and low seawater replenishment, the model predicts a change in the trace-element response of the system as high CO32- concentrations drive calcification and deplete Ca2+. This added complexity makes rationalizing observations with models more difficult.

... carrier(s). Except for air taxi operators and commuter air carriers (which are governed by 14 CFR 298.38) and Canadian charter air taxi operators (which are governed by 14 CFR 294.32), the direct air...

A new synthetic route is developed to prepare a hydroxide precursor for the superconductor YBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ. In an inert atmosphere and at low temperature the yttrium, barium and copper hydroxides are co-precipitated by adding the metal perchlorates and sodium hydroxide together. The analysis of the precursor proved the absence of ClO 4- and Na + ions. The thermal treatment (12 h calcinating at 950°C, 36 h sintering at 950°C and 6 h annealing at 400°C) gives a superconductor YBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ with a transition temperature of 90.2 K.

Isotopic fractionation of Ge was studied during Ge adsorption on goethite and its coprecipitation with amorphous Fe oxy(hydr)oxides. Regardless of the pH, surface concentration of adsorbed Ge or exposure time, the solution-solid enrichment factor for adsorption (Δ74/70Gesolution-solid) was 1.7 ± 0.1‰. The value of the Δ74Gesolution-solid in Fe-Ge coprecipitates having molar ratio 0.1 < (Ge/Fe)solid < 0.5 remained constant at 2.0 ± 0.4‰. For (Ge/Fe)solid ratio < 0.1, the Δ74Gesolution-solid increased with the decrease of Ge concentration in the solid phase, with the value as high as 4.4 ± 0.2‰ at (Ge/Fe)solid < 0.001, corresponding to the majority of natural settings. These results can be interpreted based on available structural data for adsorbed and coprecipitated Ge. It follows that Ge(OH)4° adsorption occurring as bidentate binuclear complexes at the goethite surface is characterised by an enrichment factor of ∼1.7‰, likely related to the distortion of the GeO4 tetrahedron and the formation of Ge-O-Fe bonds at the goethite surface as compared to aqueous solution. In contrast, coprecipitation yields more distorted edge-sharing GeO4 tetrahedra and, in the case of the most diluted samples, part of the Ge is found in coordination 6, replacing Fe(III) in octahedral positions. This produces a greater enrichment of the solid phase in lighter isotopes, mostly due to the increase in Ge-O bond distances and coordination number compared to aqueous solution, which is in line with the basic principles of isotope fractionation. Discharge of hydrothermal fluids, leading to massive Fe(OH)3 precipitation in the vicinity of the springs should, therefore, represent an isotopically-heavy source of dissolved Ge to the ocean. Similarly, groundwater discharge and Fe(OH)3 precipitation at the Earth’s surface, Fe oxy(hydr)oxide formation in soils and riverine organo-ferric colloids coagulation, leading to iron hydroxide precipitation in estuaries, should produce an

The Si cycle was dramatically different in the Precambrian ocean due to the absence of marine Si-secreting organisms. Precambrian Si isotopic compositions were largely controlled by chemical precipitation of Si, input of Si with different isotopic compositions (e.g., continental versus hydrothermal sources) and later alteration and diagenetic processes associated with silicification. In Precambrian banded iron formations (BIFs) and chert deposits there is an over 4‰ spread of Si isotopes (δ30Si), which stands in marked contrast to the narrow range (<0.5) measured in igneous rocks, highlighting the potential of using Si isotopes to reconstruct those processes that controlled the Precambrian marine Si cycle. However, unequivocal interpretations of Si isotope compositions measured in Precambrian Fe-Si rich sediments is hampered by a lack of understanding of Si-isotope fractionation factors associated with formation of these sediments and subsequent diagenetic processes. This study experimentally investigates Si isotope fractionation during the formation of Fe-Si co-precipitates, and between aqueous Si and Fe-Si co-precipitates. All experiments are conducted in an artificially prepared medium that mimics Archean seawater (e.g. Si: ~60 ppm), rather than in a simple Fe-Si solution, because previous studies have revealed distinct Fe isotope fractionation behaviors in artificial Archean seawater (AAS) compared to simple solutions. One set of experiments investigated oxidation of Fe2+ in the AAS at room temperature, which produced amorphous Fe-Si precipitates. Preliminary results show that δ30Si values of Fe-Si co-precipitates are ~2‰ lower than the initial AAS (Δ30Siprecip-AAS = -2.13 ± 0.18‰ (2σ)). A second set of experiments trace Si-isotope exchange between aqueous Si (AAS) and Fe-Si co-precipitates in an anaerobic chamber, using a 29Si spike (i.e. three-isotope method). The results of these experiments will form a basis for reliable interpretations of Si

The aim of this study is to develop a new method for the preparation of high-value, environmentally friendly products from spent pickling liquors. An ultrasound treatment was introduced into a chemical co-precipitation process to control the size of the particles produced. The particles were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic parameter was measured with a magnetic property measurement system. The product consisted of ferrous ferrite (Fe(3)O(4)) nano-sized cubic particles with a high level of crystallinity that exhibited super-paramagnetism. PMID:18762377

Co-precipitation is a common method for the preparation of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and related materials. This review article is aimed at providing newcomers to the field with some examples of the types of co-precipitation reactions that have been reported previously and to briefly investigate some of the properties of the products of these reactions. Due to the sheer volume of literature on the subject, the authors have had to limit this article to the synthesis of Mg/Al, Zn/Al and Ca/Al LDHs by co-precipitation and directly related methods. LDHs have been synthesised from various reagents including metal salts, oxides and hydroxides. Co-precipitation is also useful for the direct synthesis of LDHs with a wide range of interlayer anions and various bases have been successfully employed to prepare LDHs. Examples of other synthesis techniques including the urea method, hydrothermal synthesis and various mechanochemical methods that are undoubtedly related to co-precipitation have also been included in this review. The effect of post synthesis hydrothermal has also been summarised.

... place will be evaluated: (1) For costs attributable to the carrier's flying operations (direct expenses... altitude at which the carrier must fly to the designated hub; and (v) Other operational elements...

Many international guidelines recommend that carrier testing in minors should be postponed either until the age of majority or until the child can be actively involved in the decision making process. Although a number of high school programs exist which provide carrier screening to adolescents in at-risk populations, recent guidelines published by the American Society of Human Genetics do not advocate this testing. Despite this, there are some circumstances in which carrier testing does occur in minors. This testing might be intentional, in which identification of carrier status is the goal of the test, or unintentional, where carrier status is identified as a by-product of testing. In this review we outline the situations in which carriers may be identified in childhood and the positions of professional guidelines that address carrier testing in children. We then review the arguments for and against carrier testing presented in the literature and compare this to the empirical evidence in this field. PMID:26563495

Deformability is a key property of drug carriers used to increase the mass penetration across the skin without disrupting the lipid barrier. Highly deformable vesicles proved to be more effective than conventional liposomes in delivering drugs into and across the mammalian skin upon topical non occlusive application. In the past five years, highly deformable vesicles have been used for local delivery of drugs on joint diseases, skin cancer, atopic dermatitis, would healing, psoriasis, scar treatment, fungal, bacteria and protozoa infections. Promising topical vaccination strategies rely also in this type of carriers. Here we provide an overview on the main structural and mechanical features of deformable vesicles, to finish with an extensive update on their latest preclinical applications. PMID:26675226

The performance of the novel chitin metal silicate (CMS) co-precipitates as a single multifunctional excipient in tablet formulation using direct compression and wet granulation methods is evaluated. The neutral, acidic, and basic drugs Spironolactone (SPL), ibuprofen (IBU) and metronidazole (MET), respectively, were used as model drugs. Commercial Aldactone®, Fleximex® and Dumazole® tablets containing SPL, IBU and MET, respectively, and tablets made using Avicel® 200, were used in the study for comparison purposes. Tablets of acceptable crushing strength (>40 N) were obtained using CMS. The friability values for all tablets were well below the maximum 1% USP tolerance limit. CMS produced superdisintegrating tablets (disintegration time < 1 min) with the three model drugs. Regarding the dissolution rate, the sequence was as follow: CMS > Fleximex® > Avicel® 200, CMS > Avicel® 200 > Dumazole® and Aldactone® > Avicel® 200 > CMS for IBU, MET and SPL, respectively. Compressional properties of formulations were analyzed using density measurements and the compression Kawakita equation as assessment parameters. On the basis of DSC results, CMS co precipitates were found to be compatible with the tested drugs. Conclusively, the CMS co-precipitates have the potential to be used as filler, binder, and superdisintegrant, all-in-one, in the design of tablets by the direct compression as well as wet granulation methods. PMID:20559493

Technetium-99 is a long-lived product of nuclear fission. In the ground-waters of European disposal sites Tc is expected to be in the tetravalent state since the geochemical conditions are reducing due to the presence of redox couples such as Fe(II)/Fe(III), and the presence of reducing minerals such as pyrite and siderite (FeCO{sub 3}). Siderite is expected to be formed as well as container corrosion product. Experiments of coprecipitation of Fe{sup 2+} and Tc(IV) were conducted in the laboratory under an inert atmosphere at room temperature. High resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that the co-precipitate is around 3 nm sized particles. Analytical electron microscopy indicates that the precipitate contains 30 atom % of Tc and 70 atom % Fe. The Tc was homogeneously distributed. Selected Area Electron Diffraction does not reveal the formation of siderite, which suggests that the presence of technetium in high concentration inhibit the formation of this phase. (authors)

The migration, loosening and cut-out of implants and nosocomial infections are current problems associated with implant surgery. New innovative strategies to overcome these issues are emphasized in today's research. The current work presents a novel strategy involving co-precipitation of tobramycin with biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HA) formation to produce implant coatings that control local drug delivery to prevent early bacterial colonization of the implant. A submicron- thin HA layer served as seed layer for the co-precipitation process and allowed for incorporation of tobramycin in the coating from a stock solution of antibiotic concentrations as high as 20 mg/ml. Concentrations from 0.5 to 20 mg/ml tobramycin and process temperatures of 37 °C and 60 °C were tested to assess the optimal parameters for a thin tobramycin- delivering HA coating on discs and orthopedic fixation pins. The morphology and thickness of the coating and the drug-release profile were evaluated via scanning electron microscopy and high performance liquid chromatography. The coatings delivered pharmaceutically relevant amounts of tobramycin over a period of 12 days. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest release period ever observed for a fast-loaded biomimetic implant coating. The presented approach could form the foundation for development of combination device/antibiotic delivery vehicles tailored to meet well-defined clinical needs while combating infections and ensuring fast implant in-growth. PMID:24611653

Magnetite nanoparticles have been prepared by co-precipitation using a custom-designed jet mixer to achieve rapid mixing (RM) of reactants in a timescale of milliseconds. The quick and stable nucleation obtained allows control of the particle size and size distribution via a more defined growth process. Nanoparticles of different sizes were prepared by controlling the processing temperature in the first few seconds post-mixing. The average size of the nanoparticles investigated using a Tecnai transmission electron microscope is found to increase with the temperature from 3.8 nm at 1 ± 1 °C to 10.9 nm for particles grown at 95 ± 1 °C. The temperature dependence of the size distribution follows the same trend and is explained in terms of Ostwald ripening of the magnetite nanoparticles during the co-precipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+. The magnetic properties were studied by monitoring the blocking temperature via both DC and AC techniques. Strikingly, the obtained RM particles maintain the high magnetization (as high as ˜88 A m2 kg-1 at 500 kA m-1) while the coercivity is as low as ˜12 A m-1 with the expected temperature dependence. Besides, by adding a drop of tetramethylammonium hydroxide, aqueous ferrofluids with long term stability are obtained, suggesting their suitability for applications in ferrofluid technology and biomedicine.

In the present work, microwave-assisted co-precipitation route was used for synthesis of nano crystalline zinc ferrite for LPG sensing and results were compared with the zinc ferrites prepared by conventional co-precipitation route. For both the synthesis strict uniformity was maintained, while using precursors and conditions of reaction, except mode of heating was changed. Particles size of both samples were confirmed by TEM and found to be in the range of 2-4 nm. The SEM images of microwave proceed ZnFe2O4 (MS-ZnFe2O4) was found to be highly uniform as compared to conventionally proceed sample (CS-ZnFe2O4). XRD data confirmed the presence of single phase face centered cubic structure for both the samples. Functional group was analyzed by FT-IR. Thick films of the samples were made by screen printing and were used for LPG sensing measurement. This study concluded that microwave-assisted synthesis route has reduced the time of reaction by around 23 hr for synthesis of nanocrystalline zinc-ferrites of 2-4 nm size as compared to conventional routes. Also Conventionally prepared sample shows slightly better response for LPG sensing. This method has high potential to synthesis other ferrites materials also.

A flow injection-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (FI-ICP-MS) procedure, utilising ultrasonic nebulisation with membrane desolvation (USN/MD), has been developed for the determination of plutonium (Pu) in seawater at fg l -1 concentration levels. Seawater samples (1 l), after filtration, were subjected to co-precipitation with NdF 3, followed by ion exchange to enrich Pu and to reject seawater matrix ions and co-existing uranium. The seawater concentrate (1.0 ml) was then analysed by FI-ICP-MS. The limit of detection for 239Pu in seawater based on an enrichment factor of 1000 was 5 fg l -1, and precision at the 0.80 pg l -1 level was 12% RSD. Accuracy was verified via recovery experiments, and by comparing survey data for the Irish Sea with that derived by standard methodology based on co-precipitation and α-spectrometry. Concentrations for dissolved 239Puand240Pu in the Irish Sea were in the range of 0.267-0.941 pg l -1 (0.614-2.164 mBq l -1) and 0.051-0.196 pg l -1 (0.428-1.646 mBq l -1), respectively.

In this paper, the cobalt zinc ferrite was prepared by coprecipitation method at different pH conditions. The influence of pH values on the coprecipitation reaction was theoretically analyzed at first. The calculated results showed that the pH values should be controlled in the range of 9-11 to form the stable precipitation. The XRD investigation was used to further confirm the formation of the composite on specific pH values. In addition, the morphological study revealed that the average particle size of the composite decreased from 40 nm to 30 nm when the pH value increased from 9-11. The variation of microstructure plays a critical role in controlling the electromagnetic properties. From the electromagnetic analysis, the dielectric loss factor was 0.02-0.07 and magnetic loss factor was 0.2-0.5 for the composite synthesized at pH of 9, which presents dramatically improved dielectric loss and magnetic loss properties than the samples prepared at pH of 10 and 11. The as-prepared cobalt zinc ferrite are highly promising to be used as microwave absorption materials.

Magnetite nanoparticles have been prepared by co-precipitation using a custom-designed jet mixer to achieve rapid mixing (RM) of reactants in a timescale of milliseconds. The quick and stable nucleation obtained allows control of the particle size and size distribution via a more defined growth process. Nanoparticles of different sizes were prepared by controlling the processing temperature in the first few seconds post-mixing. The average size of the nanoparticles investigated using a Tecnai transmission electron microscope is found to increase with the temperature from 3.8 nm at 1 ± 1 °C to 10.9 nm for particles grown at 95 ± 1 °C. The temperature dependence of the size distribution follows the same trend and is explained in terms of Ostwald ripening of the magnetite nanoparticles during the co-precipitation of Fe(2+) and Fe(3+). The magnetic properties were studied by monitoring the blocking temperature via both DC and AC techniques. Strikingly, the obtained RM particles maintain the high magnetization (as high as ∼88 A m(2) kg(-1) at 500 kA m(-1)) while the coercivity is as low as ∼12 A m(-1) with the expected temperature dependence. Besides, by adding a drop of tetramethylammonium hydroxide, aqueous ferrofluids with long term stability are obtained, suggesting their suitability for applications in ferrofluid technology and biomedicine. PMID:22433909

Arsenic mobilized during ore processing necessitates its effective removal from process effluents and disposal in environmentally stable tailings. The most common method to accomplish this involves co-precipitation with excess ferric iron during lime neutralization. The precipitates produced are stable under oxic conditions. This may not be true, however, under sub-oxic or anoxic conditions. In this context, the potential stabilizing role of ferrous iron on arsenic removal/retention becomes important. As such, this work investigates the removal and redox stability of arsenic with ferrous, ferric and mixtures of both. The stability of produced solids is monitored in terms of arsenic release over time. It was found that ferrous was very effective for arsenic (V) removal with Fe(II)/As(V)=4, reducing its concentration down to <15 ppb via the apparent formation of ferrous arsenate. The presence of Fe(II) seemed to favor an oxidation path toward goethite (and possibly scorodite) formation in the aged bench-scale tailings. When pH and Eh were regularly adjusted with lime and sulfite or sulfide, slightly higher arsenic amounts were released (1-5 mg L(-1)); ferrous again was found to oxidize. Hence, it is concluded that Fe(II)/Fe(III)/As(V) co-precipitates are quite robust against incidental reducing agent exposure. PMID:26086809

Sphene (CaTiSiO{sub 5}), a titanosilicate ceramic considered as a host material for the immobilization of radioactive waste from nuclear power reactors, has been prepared using coprecipitation, sol-gel, and solution combustion methods. All these processes initially yielded amorphous powders, which on further calcination, crystallized to yield sphere along with perovskite, titania, and cristobalite. The coprecipitation-derived powder calcined at 1,000 C for 2 h showed the formation of single phase sphere; whereas, the sol-gel-derived and combustion-derived powders required higher temperature (1,200 C for 2 h) for single phase sphene to form. Coprecipitation-derived sphene powder achieved 96% theoretical density when sintered at 1,300 C for 2 h, and the microstructure of the sintered body showed a uniform grain size of {approx} 1 {micro}m.

This document of the European Society of Human Genetics contains recommendations regarding responsible implementation of expanded carrier screening. Carrier screening is defined here as the detection of carrier status of recessive diseases in couples or persons who do not have an a priori increased risk of being a carrier based on their or their partners' personal or family history. Expanded carrier screening offers carrier screening for multiple autosomal and X-linked recessive disorders, facilitated by new genetic testing technologies, and allows testing of individuals regardless of ancestry or geographic origin. Carrier screening aims to identify couples who have an increased risk of having an affected child in order to facilitate informed reproductive decision making. In previous decades, carrier screening was typically performed for one or few relatively common recessive disorders associated with significant morbidity, reduced life-expectancy and often because of a considerable higher carrier frequency in a specific population for certain diseases. New genetic testing technologies enable the expansion of screening to multiple conditions, genes or sequence variants. Expanded carrier screening panels that have been introduced to date have been advertised and offered to health care professionals and the public on a commercial basis. This document discusses the challenges that expanded carrier screening might pose in the context of the lessons learnt from decades of population-based carrier screening and in the context of existing screening criteria. It aims to contribute to the public and professional discussion and to arrive at better clinical and laboratory practice guidelines. PMID:26980105

... REGULATIONS TARIFFS General § 221.2 Carrier's duty. (a) Must file tariffs. (1) Except as provided in paragraph... carrier or foreign air carrier, when through service and through rates shall have been established, and... collect or receive a greater or less or different compensation for foreign air transportation or for...

... REGULATIONS TARIFFS General § 221.2 Carrier's duty. (a) Must file tariffs. (1) Except as provided in paragraph... carrier or foreign air carrier, when through service and through rates shall have been established, and... collect or receive a greater or less or different compensation for foreign air transportation or for...

... direct assignment where the indirect costs are attributable to the carrier's operations at the eligible place; (ii) By comparing the carrier's systemwide indirect operating expenses to those submitted by the carrier for the eligible place; or (iii) By comparing the indirect operating expenses submitted by...

... direct assignment where the indirect costs are attributable to the carrier's operations at the eligible place; (ii) By comparing the carrier's systemwide indirect operating expenses to those submitted by the carrier for the eligible place; or (iii) By comparing the indirect operating expenses submitted by...

... direct assignment where the indirect costs are attributable to the carrier's operations at the eligible place; (ii) By comparing the carrier's systemwide indirect operating expenses to those submitted by the carrier for the eligible place; or (iii) By comparing the indirect operating expenses submitted by...

This document of the European Society of Human Genetics contains recommendations regarding responsible implementation of expanded carrier screening. Carrier screening is defined here as the detection of carrier status of recessive diseases in couples or persons who do not have an a priori increased risk of being a carrier based on their or their partners' personal or family history. Expanded carrier screening offers carrier screening for multiple autosomal and X-linked recessive disorders, facilitated by new genetic testing technologies, and allows testing of individuals regardless of ancestry or geographic origin. Carrier screening aims to identify couples who have an increased risk of having an affected child in order to facilitate informed reproductive decision making. In previous decades, carrier screening was typically performed for one or few relatively common recessive disorders associated with significant morbidity, reduced life-expectancy and often because of a considerable higher carrier frequency in a specific population for certain diseases. New genetic testing technologies enable the expansion of screening to multiple conditions, genes or sequence variants. Expanded carrier screening panels that have been introduced to date have been advertised and offered to health care professionals and the public on a commercial basis. This document discusses the challenges that expanded carrier screening might pose in the context of the lessons learnt from decades of population-based carrier screening and in the context of existing screening criteria. It aims to contribute to the public and professional discussion and to arrive at better clinical and laboratory practice guidelines. PMID:26980105

An antidepressant carrier was designed to maintain over 2 weeks of constant medication release. The carrier was injected into muscle, where cellular activity was employed to achieve the goal of constant release. Mesoporous hydroxyapatite (mesoHAP) was synthesized into an adequate size by a coprecipitation method; it then went through a series of hydrophobic surface modifications for olanzapine (OLZ) loading by physical absorption to produce mesoHAP-OLZ. Because of its hydrophobic nature, OLZ was not effectively released from mesoHAP-OLZ in an aqueous environment. However, once engulfed by macrophages, the lysosome/endosome hybrid ruptured due to alterations in osmotic pressure, resulting in the release of OLZ into the cytoplasm. OLZ was then exocytosed to the extracellular space due to a high calcium ion (Ca(2+)) concentration and finally reached the blood circulation. Our findings provide a useful treatment strategy to achieve long-term drug release with a single intramuscular (IM) injection, helping to solve the problem of nonadherent medication intake that often occurs in antidepressant therapy. PMID:26474006

Effective decontamination of alkaline solutions and Hanford Site tank waste simulants from technetium has been accomplished by reductive coprecipitation with iron(III) hydroxide. Addition of 1 M (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}Fe(SO{sub 4}){sub 2} to 0.5 to 4.0 M NaOH to a final concentration of 0.1 to 0.15 M coprecipitates more than 99% of the technetium. from 0.5 to 1.0 M NaOH and 98 to 96% from 2.0 to 4.0 M NaOH. Similar results were obtained by reduction of Tc(VII) with 0.1 to 0.15 M hydrazine and subsequent addition of FeCl{sub 3} to a final concentration of 0.15 M. Inclusion of four complex-forming agents [0.01 M phosphate, 0.1 M EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetate), 0.03 M citrate, and 0.1 M glycolate (HOCH{sub 2}CO{sub 2}{sup -})] to the alkaline solution decreases technetium coprecipitation with iron hydroxide to 85% under otherwise similar conditions. Inclusion of 0.04 M Na{sub 2}CrO{sub 4} drastically decreases reductive coprecipitation of Tc(VII) in 0.5 to 4.0 M NaOH. Iron(II) salt, added to a 0.07 M excess over that of chromate, completely reduces chromate and provides greater than 99% coprecipitation of technetium with product iron(III) and chromium(III) hydroxides. Technetium(VII) reduction by hydrazine is slow in the presence of chromate in alkaline solution, and technetium coprecipitation is incomplete in these conditions. Decontamination of an alkaline Hanford Site tank waste simulant, containing 0.04M chromate and eleven salts and complex-forming agents, by adding 1 M iron(II) salt solution was studied. Coprecipitation of 15 to 28% of the technetium and more than 99% of the plutonium occurred in the Fe/Cr(III) hydroxide precipitate produced by adding 0.05 to 0.10 M iron(II). Chromate reduction was incomplete. About 75% of the technetium was coprecipitated, and the chromate was completely reduced, after adding 0.2 M iron(II) salt.

La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (x=0.3) (LSM) nanoparticles were prepared by a sonication-assisted coprecipitation method. The coprecipitation reaction is carried out with ultrasound radiation. Lower sintering temperatures are required for the sonication-assisted product. Fully crystallized LSM with an average particle size 24 nm is obtained after the as-prepared mixture is annealed at 900 deg. C for 2 h. Magnetic properties indicate that the transition temperature from the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state of the sample is quite sharp and occurs at 366 K for samples annealed for 2 h at 900 and 1100 deg. C.

Methods and apparatus for interacting carriers with a structure of matter employ an electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of that structure, and cause such carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside that structure by providing along the mentioned distance a gap for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission and injecting carriers emitted by the mentioned electrode and that process ballistically into the structure through the gap and the mentioned surface. The carriers are collected or analyzed after their travel along ballistic trajectories in the structure of matter. Pertinent information on the inside of the structure is obtained by conducting inside that structure what conventionally would have been considered external ballistics, while performing the carrier-propelling internal ballistics conversely outside that structure.

One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier comprises a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are to be held. Electrically-conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body, and a plurality of contact clips are coupled to the electrically-conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and electrically couple the substrates to the electrically-conductive lines. The non-conductive carrier body is continuous so as to be impermeable to flow of electroplating solution through the non-conductive carrier body. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier comprises a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are to be held. Electrically-conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body, and a plurality of contact clips are coupled to the electrically-conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and electrically couple the substrates to the electrically-conductive lines. The non-conductive carrier body is continuous so as to be impermeable to flow of electroplating solution through the non-conductive carrier body. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

This review describes some aspects related to the technological barriers encountered in the development and stability of probiotic cheeses. Aspects concerning the viability of probiotic cultures in this matrix are discussed and the potential of cheese as a biofunctional food carrier is analyzed, outlying some points related to health and safety. In general, the manufacture of probiotic cheese should have little change when compared with the elaboration of cheese in the traditional way. The physicochemical and technological parameters influencing the quality of these products have also to be measured so as to obtain a process optimization. PMID:25802862

... measurements. (a) The carrier frequency of each AM and FM station and the visual carrier frequency and the difference between the visual carrier and the aural carrier or center frequency of each TV and Class A...

The samples of Zn1-xNixO (x= 0.00 and 0.05) were prepared using coprecipitation method and annealed at different temperatures. The effect of Ni ion substitution on the structural and optical properties has been studied using X-ray Diffraction, UV-Visible, Photoluminescence and Magnetic measurements. XRD measurements demonstrate that all the prepared samples are wurtzite polycrystalline single phase in nature, ruling out the presence of any secondary phase formation. Ultraviolet visible measurements showed a decrease in band gap with the increase in annealing temperature and doping concentration. The PL data shows the red shift in all the samples and luminescence quenching with Ni doping. Compared to undoped ZnO, Ni doped ZnO showed room temperature ferromagnetism

In the present manuscript, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have been synthesized with the help of co-precipitation method and studied the structural, optical and magnetic properties. X ray diffraction analysis of the synthesized samples reveals the formation of single phase cubic spinel structure with the space group Fd-3m. FESEM and TEM results indicate the formation of nano-sized particles. The optical measurement reveals the two band gaps ∼2.77 and 1.67 eV in the sample. Magnetic measurement shows weak ferromagnetic interaction in Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} along with usual paramagnetic nature at room temperature. However, at low temperatures the sample shows antiferromagnetic interaction. The correlation between the structural and observed magnetic and optical properties of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles will be described and discussed in this paper.

Today nanomaterials plays important role in every field, due to their unique mechanical, chemical and electrical properties which are completely different from the bulk materials. With reduction in the size of material its properties are dynamically changed. Semiconductor materials are widely used in electronic devices but in the field of optoelectronic these materials have some limitations. Tin oxide could be the material which could be used in these applications without limitations. Doped Tin Oxide is an oxygen deficient material which could be beneficial for transparent conducting oxide. Iron doped SnO2 prepared by co-precipitation method. Studies on structural properties of undoped and doped SnO2 were done by X-ray diffraction. The XRD results have shown that the size of the nanoparticles decreases with Fe doping down to 53nm. Optical Properties were studied by UV-visible spectroscopy. Band gap was found to decrease with increase in iron content in samples.

A ball-grid-array integrated circuit (IC) chip carrier formed from a silicon substrate is disclosed. The silicon ball-grid-array chip carrier is of particular use with ICs having peripheral bond pads which can be reconfigured to a ball-grid-array. The use of a semiconductor substrate such as silicon for forming the ball-grid-array chip carrier allows the chip carrier to be fabricated on an IC process line with, at least in part, standard IC processes. Additionally, the silicon chip carrier can include components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors and sensors to form a "smart" chip carrier which can provide added functionality and testability to one or more ICs mounted on the chip carrier. Types of functionality that can be provided on the "smart" chip carrier include boundary-scan cells, built-in test structures, signal conditioning circuitry, power conditioning circuitry, and a reconfiguration capability. The "smart" chip carrier can also be used to form specialized or application-specific ICs (ASICs) from conventional ICs. Types of sensors that can be included on the silicon ball-grid-array chip carrier include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, stress sensors, inertia or acceleration sensors, and/or chemical sensors. These sensors can be fabricated by IC processes and can include microelectromechanical (MEM) devices.

Ferrimagnetic substances referred to as ferrites are ionic crystals whose chemical composition is of the form XFe2 O4 where X signifies a divalent metal. Magnetic Nano sized ferrites have found a significant potential in many applications, such as magnetic recording media, Ferro fluids and radar absorbing coating. Ferrites are widely used in many industrial applications due to their spontaneous magnetization. Soft ferrites of Mn-Zn, Ni-Zn and Mg-Mn are well known for their high magnetic permeability. In the present research work we have prepared fine Mn1-xZnxFe2O4 ferrite powder with varying x concentrations (0.25-0.75) by metal chloride precursors through a co-precipitation technique by pipette drop method using aqueous NaOH solution for comparing their spontaneous magnetization and particle size. The co-precipitation technique is a high way to produce chemically homogeneous powder with fine particle size in nanometers (22.5nm-74.5nm).The effect of x-concentration on the particle size of the Mn(1-x) Zn(x) ferrite has been discussed on the basis of XRD. The crystalline phases have been identified by X-ray diffraction with Cu-Kα radiations. The XRD patterns have verified that the specimen has spinal type structure. The observable peaks are broad since the size of the particles is small. We have concluded that at constants temperature particle size increases with increasing x-concentrations. Effect of different concentrations of x (Zn+2) on the spontaneous magnetization of different Mn(1-x) Zn(x) Fe2O4 sample is determined. We have reached the conclusion that all the samples of Mn(1-x) Zn(x) Fe2 O4 ferrites were magnetic either of low or high magnetization. The maximum spontaneous magnetization and minimum particle size is obtained at x=0.25 (at digestion temperature=65°C).

The process of in situ carbonate mineral formation has implications in many environmental applications, including, but not limited to aquifer decontamination, enhancement of soil stability, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The high stability of carbonates and the potential for co-precipitation of contaminants within carbonates are attractive attributes for several potential engineering applications. Ureolytic precipitation of calcium and strontium carbonates by Sporosarcina pasteurii was examined in two-dimensional flat plate porous media reactors. Complete reactor plugging due to biofilm formation and calcium carbonate precipitation was achieved in Sr-free systems after 14 hours and in Sr-inclusive systems after 15 hours. Comparison of the reactor influent and effluent after 11 hours indicated that Ca2+ concentrations in the Sr-free reactor effluent were reduced to approximately 0.48% of the influent concentration while the Ca2+ and Sr2+ concentrations of the Sr-inclusive effluent were reduced to 0.64% and 2.34% of the influent concentration indicating a slight inhibitory effect of strontium on calcium carbonate precipitation . Despite this slight inhibition, more than 98% of the Ca2+ entering the reactors was precipitated. Calcite was identified as the main mineral formed and a larger mean crystal size and density were observed near the reactor influent. Homogenous partition coefficients calculated from extracted precipitates suggest higher Sr2+ partitioning near the inlet region, where higher precipitation kinetics exist. Results confirm the possibility of effective calcite-based co-precipitation of Sr2+ under flow conditions and contributes towards the development of field-scale calcium carbonate mineral-based immobilization strategies.

The process of in situ carbonate mineral formation has implications in many environmental applications, including, but not limited to aquifer decontamination, enhancement of soil stability, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The high stability of carbonates and the potential for co-precipitation of contaminants within carbonates are attractive attributes for several potential engineering applications. Ureolytic precipitation of calcium and strontium carbonates by Sporosarcina pasteurii was examined in two-dimensional flat plate porous media reactors. Complete reactor plugging due to biofilm formation and calcium carbonate precipitation was achieved in Sr-free systems after 14 hours and in Sr-inclusive systems after 15 hours. Comparison of the reactor influent and effluent after 11 hours indicated that Ca2+ concentrations in the Sr-free reactor effluent were reduced to approximately 0.48% of the influent concentration while the Ca2+ and Sr2+ concentrations of the Sr-inclusive effluent were reduced to 0.64% and 2.34% of the influent concentration indicating a slight inhibitory effect of strontium on calcium carbonate precipitation . Despite this slight inhibition, more than 98% of the Ca2+ entering the reactors was precipitated. Calcite was identified as the main mineral formed and a larger mean crystal size and density were observed near the reactor influent. Homogenous partition coefficients calculated from extracted precipitates suggest higher Sr2+ partitioning near the inlet region, where higher precipitation kinetics exist. Results confirm the possibility of effective calcite-based co-precipitation of Sr2+ under flow conditions and contributes towards the development of field-scale calcium carbonate mineral-based immobilization strategies.

A CeO2-ZrO2 compound with mixed phase composition (CZ4) was prepared by modified co-precipitation method, and for comparison, single-phase Ce(0.2)Zr(0.8)O2, Ce(0.5)Zr(0.5)O2 and Ce(0.8)Zr(0.2)O2 were synthesized via simultaneous co-precipitation method. The textural, structural and redox properties, together with the catalytic performance of the supported Pd-only three-way catalysts were investigated systematically. The results revealed that the generation of numerous interface sites in Pd/CZ4 due to its mixed phase composition (as confirmed by TEM observation) had a positive influence on modifying its structural, redox properties and thermal stability. The XRD and Raman results revealed that the highest structural stability was obtained by Pd/CZ4 with negligible lattice variation and slightest grain growth after aging treatment. The XPS analysis demonstrated that the compositional heterogeneity of Pd/CZ4 could facilitate the formation of Ce(3+), and was beneficial to preserve high dispersion of Pd as well as maintain Pd at a more oxidized state. The H2-TPR and oxygen storage capacity measurements indicated that Pd/CZ4 possessed highest reduction ability as well as largest oxygen storage capacity regardless of thermal aging treatment. And consequently Pd/CZ4 exhibited improved three-way catalytic activity compared with the catalysts supported on single-phase Ce(x)Zr(1-x)O2 both before and after thermal aging treatment. PMID:25863223

Ferrihydrite is a widespread poorly crystalline Fe oxide which becomes easily coated by natural organic matter in the environment. This mineral-bound organic matter entirely changes the mineral surface properties and therefore the reactivity of the original mineral. Here, we investigated 2-line ferrihydrite, ferrihydrite with adsorbed organic matter, and ferrihydrite coprecipitated with organic matter for microbial and abiotic reduction of Fe(III). Ferrihydrite-organic matter associations with different organic matter loadings were reduced either by Geobacter bremensis or abiotically by Na-dithionite. Both types of experiments showed decreasing initial Fe-reduction rates and decreasing degrees of reduction with increasing amounts of mineral-bound organic matter. At similar organic matter loadings, coprecipitated ferrihydrites were more reactive than ferrihydrites with adsorbed organic matter. The difference can be explained by the smaller crystal size and poor crystallinity of such coprecipitates. At small organic matter loadings the poor crystallinity of coprecipitates led to even faster Fe-reduction rates than found for pure ferrihydrite. The amount of mineral-bound organic matter also affected the formation of secondary minerals: goethite was only found after reduction of organic matter-free ferrihydrite and siderite was only detected when ferrihydrites with relatively low amounts of mineral-bound organic matter were reduced. We conclude that direct contact of G. bremensis to the Fe oxide mineral surface was inhibited by attached organic matter. Consequently, mineral-bound organic matter shall be taken into account as a factor in slowing down reductive dissolution.

Iron (hydr)oxides are common in natural environments and typically contain large amounts of impurities, presumably the result of coprecipitation processes. Coprecipitation of Al with Fe (hydr)oxides occurs, for example, during alternating reduction-oxidation cycles that promote dissolution of Fe from Fe-containing phases and its re-precipitation as Fe-Al (hydr)oxides. We used chemical and spectroscopic analyses to study the formation and transformation of Al coprecipitates with Fe (hydr)oxides. In addition, periodic density functional theory (DFT) computations were performed to assess the structural and energetic effects of isolated or clustered Al atoms at 8 and 25 mol% Al substitution in the goethite structure. Coprecipitates were synthesized by raising the pH of dilute homogeneous solutions containing a range of Fe and Al concentrations (100% Fe to 100% Al) to 5. The formation of ferrihydrite in initial suspensions with {<=}20 mol% Al, and of ferrihydrite and gibbsite in initial suspensions with {>=}25 mol% Al was confirmed by infrared spectroscopic and synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction analyses. While base titrations showed a buffer region that corresponded to the hydrolysis of Fe in initial solutions with {<=}25 mol% Al, all of the Al present in these solutions was retained by the solid phases at pH 5, thus indicating Al coprecipitation with the primary Fe hydroxide precipitate. In contrast, two buffer regions were observed in solutions with 30 mol% Al (at pH {approx}2.25 for Fe{sup 3+} and at pH {approx}4 for Al{sup 3+}), suggesting the formation of Fe and Al (hydr)oxides as two separate phases. The Al content of initial coprecipitates influenced the extent of ferrihydrite transformation and of its transformation products as indicated by the presence of goethite, hematite and/or ferrihydrite in aged suspensions. DFT experiments showed that: (i) optimized unit cell parameters for Al-substituted goethites (8 and 25 Mol% Al) in clustered arrangement (i.e., the

Carrier dynamics of filled-skutterudites, an important class of thermoelectric materials, is investigated using ultrafast optical spectroscopy. By tuning the wavelength of the probe laser, charge transfers at different electronic energy levels are interrogated. Analysis based on the Kramers-Kronig relation explains the complex spectroscopy data, which is mainly due to band filling caused by photo-excited carriers and free carrier absorption. The relaxation time of hot carriers is found to be about 0.4–0.6 ps, depending on the electronic energy level, and the characteristic time for carrier-phonon equilibrium is about 0.95 ps. These studies of carrier dynamics, which fundamentally determines the transport properties of thermoelectric material, can provide guidance for the design of materials.

The 2175 {angstrom} extinction feature is by far the strongest spectral signature of interstellar dust observed by astronomers. Forty years after its discovery the origin of the feature and the nature of the carrier remain controversial. The feature is enigmatic because although its central wavelength is almost invariant its bandwidth varies strongly from one sightline to another, suggesting multiple carriers or a single carrier with variable properties. Using a monochromated transmission electron microscope and valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy we have detected a 5.7 eV (2175 {angstrom}) feature in submicrometer-sized interstellar grains within interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected in the stratosphere. The carriers are organic carbon and amorphous silicates that are abundant and closely associated with one another both in IDPs and in the interstellar medium. Multiple carriers rather than a single carrier may explain the invariant central wavelength and variable bandwidth of the astronomical 2175 {angstrom} feature.

The lower immunogenicity of synthetic subunit antigens, compared to live attenuated vaccines, is being addressed with improved vaccine carriers. Recent reports indicate that the physio-chemical properties of these carriers can be altered to achieve optimal antigen presentation, endosomal escape, particle bio-distribution, and cellular trafficking. The carriers can be modified with various antigens and ligands for dendritic cells targeting. They can also be modified with adjuvants, either covalently or entrapped in the matrix, to improve cellular and humoral immune responses against the antigen. As a result, these multi-functional carrier systems are being explored for use in active immunotherapy against cancer and infectious diseases. Advancing technology, improved analytical methods, and use of computational methodology have also contributed to the development of subunit vaccine carriers. This review details recent breakthroughs in the design of nano-particulate vaccine carriers, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and inorganic nanoparticles. PMID:27104575

The lower immunogenicity of synthetic subunit antigens, compared to live attenuated vaccines, is being addressed with improved vaccine carriers. Recent reports indicate that the physio-chemical properties of these carriers can be altered to achieve optimal antigen presentation, endosomal escape, particle bio-distribution, and cellular trafficking. The carriers can be modified with various antigens and ligands for dendritic cells targeting. They can also be modified with adjuvants, either covalently or entrapped in the matrix, to improve cellular and humoral immune responses against the antigen. As a result, these multi-functional carrier systems are being explored for use in active immunotherapy against cancer and infectious diseases. Advancing technology, improved analytical methods, and use of computational methodology have also contributed to the development of subunit vaccine carriers. This review details recent breakthroughs in the design of nano-particulate vaccine carriers, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and inorganic nanoparticles. PMID:27104575

Spectroscopic studies of the following potential diffuse interstellar band (DIB) carriers are reviewed: unspecified organics, carbon chains, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fullerenes and derivatives, as well as porphyrins and related material. An assessment of each is given, along with suggestions for further experimental studies needed to fully test each candidate. Of the experimental techniques in common use matrix isolation spectroscopy with neon matrices is the most appropriate for the DIBs. The low vapor pressure and high reactivity of these materials preclude gas phase studies on many of these species. At this point, given the type and quality of published data available, carbon chains and PARs are the most promising candidates for a number of the DIBs.

Printed materials are affecting people's lives in a variety of ways and to a constantly increasing extent, both in the private and in the business spheres. In particular, the predicted reduction of printed materials resulting from electronic data processing - the so-called "paperless electronic office" - has not occured, indeed quite the reverse. In recent years electrophotographic reprography has established itself successfully as a competitor to conventional printing processes. In the office a photocopier is now a part of the standard equipment. Because of BASF's traditional intensive involvement with pigments and colored printing inks its interest in new technologies in these areas is especially great. BASF has therefore been engaged in research on carriers for some years now.

The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives casks on railcars and legal-weight trucks (LWTs) (transporters) that transport loaded casks and empty overpacks to the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) from the Carrier/Cask Transport System. Casks that come to the MGR on heavy-haul trucks (HHTs) are transferred onto railcars before being brought into the Carrier/Cask Handling System. The system is the interfacing system between the railcars and LWTs and the Assembly Transfer System (ATS) and Canister Transfer System (CTS). The Carrier/Cask Handling System removes loaded casks from the cask transporters and transfers the casks to a transfer cart for either the ATS or CTS, as appropriate, based on cask contents. The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives the returned empty casks from the ATS and CTS and mounts the casks back onto the transporters for reshipment. If necessary, the Carrier/Cask Handling System can also mount loaded casks back onto the transporters and remove empty casks from the transporters. The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives overpacks from the ATS loaded with canisters that have been cut open and emptied and mounts the overpacks back onto the transporters for disposal. If necessary, the Carrier/Cask Handling System can also mount empty overpacks back onto the transporters and remove loaded overpacks from them. The Carrier/Cask Handling System is located within the Carrier Bay of the Waste Handling Building System. The system consists of cranes, hoists, manipulators, and supporting equipment. The Carrier/Cask Handling System is designed with the tooling and fixtures necessary for handling a variety of casks. The Carrier/Cask Handling System performance and reliability are sufficient to support the shipping and emplacement schedules for the MGR. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Carrier/Cask Transport System, ATS, and CTS as noted above. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Waste Handling Building System for building

The Expert Motor Carrier Selection System (EMCASS) was designed as a Knowledge-Based System to help in traffic management at Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems). The primary function of the system is to suggest the optimal motor carrier(s) for a given freight shipment to or from Energy Systems. The system accepts a zip code (destination or origin) from the user, a shipment weight, and other related information in some cases. EMCASS then suggests the best carrier for that shipment, and journals the results. The objective of this project is to distribute the knowledge of the company's traffic managers, and to emulate their decision processes as closely as possible.

... and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS TARIFFS Who is Authorized To Issue and File Tariffs § 221.10 Carrier. (a) Local or joint tariffs. A carrier may issue and file, in its own name, tariff publications which contain: (1) Local fares...

... 890.1308 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS... in the demonstration project if their service area overlaps a small portion (as determined by OPM) of... Program Demonstration Project § 890.1308 Carrier participation. (a) All carriers who participate in...

To date, preconceptual and prenatal patients have been offered gene-by-gene, disorder-by-disorder carrier screening. Newer techniques allow screening of many disorders at one time. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the current practice and future direction of carrier screening within the preconceptual/prenatal setting.

Interest in chromium (Cr) isotope incorporation into carbonates arises from the observation that Cr isotopic composition of carbonates could be used as a paleoclimate proxy to elucidate past fluctuations of oxygen contents in atmosphere and hydrosphere. The use of Cr isotopes to track paleoenvironmental changes, for example related to the rise of oxygen during the Archaean and Protoerozoic, needs careful assessment of the signal robustness and necessitates a thorough understanding of the Cr cycle in Earth system processes. We conducted experiments testing the incorporation of chromate into the calcite lattice to investigate isotopic changes facilitated by the coprecipitation process. Our experiments indicate enrichment in Cr concentration in the precipitates compared to the solutions, consistent with previous reports of Cr enrichment in chemical sediments compared to ambient seawater. The fractionation of Cr isotopes during calcium carbonate coprecipitation was assumed to be small, based on previously published data of modern seawater and modern non-skeletal marine carbonates. However, results from this study for rapidly precipitated calcium carbonate in the presence of chromate show a tendency for preferential incorporation of heavy Cr isotopes in the precipitates resulting in increasing relative isotope difference between precipitate and initial solution (Δ53Cr[p-is]) from +0.06‰ to +0.18‰, with increasing initial Cr concentration of the solution. Sample precipitation in the presence of chromate also showed the presence of vaterite. Calcium carbonate crystals were also precipitated in a double diffusion silica hydrogel over a longer period of time resulting in samples consisting of micrometric-millimetric calcite crystals, which were again significantly enriched in heavy Cr isotopes compared to the initial solutions. They average, irrespective of the initial Cr concentration, a relative isotope difference (Δ53Cr[p-is]) of +0.29 ± 0.08‰ (2σ), whereas

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century the limitations of the fossil age with regard to the continuing growth of energy demand, the peaking mining rate of oil, the growing impact of CO2 emissions on the environment and the dependency of the economy in the industrialized world on the availability of fossil fuels became very obvious. A major change in the energy economy from fossil energy carriers to renewable energy fluxes is necessary. The main challenge is to efficiently convert renewable energy into electricity and the storage of electricity or the production of a synthetic fuel. Hydrogen is produced from water by electricity through an electrolyser. The storage of hydrogen in its molecular or atomic form is a materials challenge. Some hydrides are known to exhibit a hydrogen density comparable to oil; however, these hydrides require a sophisticated storage system. The system energy density is significantly smaller than the energy density of fossil fuels. An interesting alternative to the direct storage of hydrogen are synthetic hydrocarbons produced from hydrogen and CO2 extracted from the atmosphere. They are CO2 neutral and stored like fossil fuels. Conventional combustion engines and turbines can be used in order to convert the stored energy into work and heat. PMID:20566514

A hot carrier photovoltaic cell requires extraction of electrons on a timescale faster than they can lose energy to the lattice. We optically and optoelectronically characterize two resonant tunneling structures, showing their compatability with hot carrier photovoltaic operation, demonstrating structural and carrier extraction properties necessary for such a device. In particular we use time resolved and temperature dependent photoluminescence to determine extraction timescales and energy levels in the structures and demonstrate fast carrier extraction by tunneling. We also show that such devices are capable of extracting photo-generated electrons at high carrier densities, with an open circuit voltage in excess of 1 V.

We study the carrier relaxation dynamics in intrinsic graphene after pulse photoexcitation and reveal effects of intraband carrier-carrier scattering on population inversion in the terahertz region, by conducting simulation based on the quasi-classical Boltzmann equation. It is demonstrated that by changing the dielectric constant of the surrounding materials the rate of carrier-carrier scattering can be controlled and the relaxation dynamics differs for cases with low and high dielectric constants. It is also found that the Pauli blocking of photogeneration in case of the pulse photoexcitation causes decrease in the photocarrier concentration and thus weakening of population inversion with higher dielectric constant.

Nanosized green phosphor LaPO4:Ce3+, Tb3+ has been synthesized by microwave-assisted co-precipitation method. The morphology, crystal structure and photoluminescence properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The lanthanum phosphate phosphors with monoclinic crystal structure and fine crystallinity and dispersibility were synthesized at 900°C for 1 h and the particle size of the phosphors is ˜ 100 nm. The strongest photoluminescence emission peak is located at 543 nm due to the (5D4→7F5) transition of Tb3+ ion. The experimental results indicate that nanosized green phosphor 40% Ce3+ and 20% Tb3+ doped LaPO4 synthesized by microwave-assisted co-precipitation method is a beneficial phosphor for high resolution display devices.

Y2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation route using yttrium nitrate hexahydrate and ammonium hydroxide as precursors. The prepared sample was calcined at 500 degrees C and subjected to various characterization studies like thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-visible (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD pattern showed the cubic fluorite structure of Y2O3 without any impurity peaks, revealing high purity of the prepared sample. TEM images revealed that the calcined Y2O3 nanoparticles consist of spherical-like morphology with an average particle size of 12 nm. The absorption spectrum of calcined samples shows blue-shift compared to the as-prepared sample, which was further confirmed by PL studies. The possible formation mechanism of Y2O3 nanoparticles has been discussed based on the experimental results. Electrochemical behavior of Y2O3 nanoparticles was studied by cyclic voltammetry to assess their suitability for supercapacitor applications. PMID:26369048

An iron-poor stream of nearly neutral pH polluted by mine tailings has been investigated for a natural phenomenon responsible for the polishing of heavy metals in mine wastewaters. A white mineralized mat, which was determined to be hydrozincite [Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6] by X-ray diffraction analysis, was observed in the stream sediments mainly in spring. The precipitate shows a total organic matter residue of 10% dry weight and contains high concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu, and other metals. Scanning electron microscopy analysis suggests that hydrozincite is mainly of biological origin. Dormant photosynthetic microorganisms have been retrieved from 1-year-old dry hydrozincite. The autofluorescent microorganisms were imaged by a scanning confocal laser microscope. A photosynthetic filamentous bacterium, classified as Scytonema sp. strain ING-1, was found associated with microalga Chlorella sp. strain SA1. This microbial community is responsible for the natural polishing of heavy metals in the water stream by coprecipitation with hydrozincite. PMID:11055969

A new coprecipitation methodology that used lutetium hydroxide as a precipitant for Cu(II), Pb(II), Mn(II), Co(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), and Ni(II) ions in herbal plant and water samples for analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry has been investigated. The parameters such as pH, amount of lutetium, and volume of aqueous sample were optimized for the recovery of these seven metals. The effects of concomitant ions on the separation-preconcentration of analytes were also checked. The validation of the procedure was checked with addition recovery tests and analysis of Standard Reference Material 1570a-Trace Elements in Spinach Leaves and TMDA-70 fortified lake water Certified Reference Material. The LODs for analyte ions were in the range of 1.7-7.2 microg/L. The application of the present procedure was successfully performed for the analysis of analyte contents of herbal plant samples from Turkey. PMID:25145156

Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) is synthesized by one step coprecipitation method from mixed salt solutions containing Fe(II) and Fe(III) salts. This material was characterized using Rietveld refinement of the X-ray powder diffraction, heating stage Raman microscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopies. The Rietveld refinement of XRD pattern has indicated that the γ-Fe2O3 shows a cubic cell structure. The superstructure reflection related to the long-range ordering of cation lattice vacancies was not detected in the diffraction pattern. The extra peaks corresponding to the Lepidocrocite phase γ FeOOH in a small amount were observed in the XRD pattern. The crystallite size of maghemite compound is 18 nm calculated using Williamson-Hall method. Using Mössbauer spectroscopy, the result of Rietveld refinement was confirmed by the presence of magnetic sextet arising from the metallic iron of γ-Fe2O3, and a paramagnetic doublet inferring the presence of paramagnetic iron of γ FeOOH. Heating stage Raman microscopy reveals that the temperature of transition to maghemite phase up to hematite is 550 °C. The heating of our maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) powder up to 550 °C yields a single phase of Hematite hexagonal-corundum structure with R 3 bar c space group.

Fe3O4 and ZnxFe3-xO4 pure and doped magnetite magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in aqueous solution (Series A) or in a water-ethyl alcohol mixture (Series B) by the co-precipitation method. Only one ferromagnetic resonance line was observed in all cases under consideration indicating that the materials are magnetically uniform. The shortfall in the resonance fields from 3.27 kOe (for the frequency of 9.5 GHz) expected for spheres can be understood taking into account the dipolar forces, magnetoelasticity, or magnetocrystalline anisotropy. All samples show non-zero low field absorption. For Series A samples the grain size decreases with an increase of the Zn content. In this case zero field absorption does not correlate with the changes of the grain size. For Series B samples the grain size and zero field absorption behavior correlate with each other. The highest zero-field absorption corresponded to 0.2 zinc concentration in both A and B series. High zero-field absorption of Fe3O4 ferrite magnetic NPs can be interesting for biomedical applications. PMID:24950442

Zinc oxide powders have been synthesized by a co-precipitation method at low temperature (85 °C), using zinc acetate dihydrate, ammonia, hydrochloric acid solutions as the reactants. A number of process parameters such as reaction temperature, solution basicity or pH and heating time are the main factors affecting the morphology and physical properties of the ZnO nanostructures. In this work the effect of heating time on the morphology and particles size were studied. The as-synthesized ZnO powders were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The samples were also analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Rietveld refinement of XRD data confirms that ZnO crystallizes in the hexagonal wurtzite structure with high degree of purity and the (101) plane predominant. The XRD results show that the average crystallite sizes were about 66, 27 and 12 nm for 3, 4 and 5 h of heating times, respectively. The XRD analysis indicated that a fraction of nano-sized ZnO powders were in the form of aggregates, which was also verified by TEM image. The TEM photograph demonstrated that the nano-sized ZnO particles were a pseudo-spherical shape.

Polycrystalline gadolinium gallium mixed oxides were prepared by coprecipitation and annealing at various temperatures below 1000 deg. C. The oxide materials appear to be X-ray amorphous after a heat treatment at 500 deg. C for 30 h, but after 30 h at 800 and 900 deg. C a major, unreported, hexagonal phase, isostructural with TAlO{sub 3} compounds (where T=Y, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er) appears to crystallize. On the other hand, a highly energetic mechanical treatment of the amorphous powder previously annealed at 500 deg. C changes considerably the shape and position of exothermal events occurring in the range from 700 up to 900 deg. C. Subsequent annealing at 900 deg. C of the mechanically treated powder gives rise to the complete formation of the Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}O{sub 12} garnet structure at the expense of the hexagonal phase and of the minor Gd{sub 4}Ga{sub 2}O{sub 9} oxide phase. However, a 7.0 wt% contamination is found to be due to tetragonal zirconia coming from vials and balls colliding media. The garnet phase may have strong deviations from the nominal stoichiometry of the garnet, as suggested by the refined lattice parameter obtained from the powder diffraction patterns and by the remarkable absence of intensity relative to the (220) Bragg peak position.

In this work, a series of ZrO2/ZrW2O8 ceramic composites with different amounts of ZrW2O8 were successfully prepared by calcining the precursors synthesized using co-precipitation route at 1150°C for 3 h. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) data confirmed that the composites only consisted of α-ZrW2O8 phase and m-ZrO2 phase. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the synthesized ZrO2/ZrW2O8 composites showed that the specimens had good mixed-uniformities. In addition, the thermal expansion coefficients of the composites decreased with increased amounts of negative thermal expansion ZrW2O8, specimen with 26wt% ZrW2O8 shows almost zero thermal expansion and its average thermal expansion coefficient is -0.5897×10-6K-1 in the temperature range from 30°C to 600°C.

In this paper we report the effect of divalent cobalt on the structural and magnetic properties of substituted magnetites, Fe 3- x Co x O 4, with γ=Co 2+/Fe = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 % wt, synthesized by the coprecipitation method. The samples were characterized by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, room temperature Mössbauer Spectroscopy and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry. The effect of Co 2+ was found to depend strongly of the concentration employed in the synthesis process. For γ≤15 % the Co 2+ promotes the formation of particles more crystalline and with higher saturation magnetization, remanence and coercivity than those obtained in absence of this cation. A sequential increasing of the lattice parameter is observed, as well as a reduction in the hyperfine magnetic field of the Fe 2.5+sub spectrum, while the hyperfine magnetic field of the Fe 3+sub spectrum keeps almost constant. For γ=20 % and 30 % the crystallinity of the samples decreases, particle size distribution effects are evidenced and the saturation magnetization decreases drastically. The results suggest that for low Co 2+ contents the substitution of Fe 3+by Co 2+ at octahedral sites of the inverse spinel system is the dominant effect, while for the highest concentrations used the substitution of Fe 2+ by Co 2+ and the increasing of the particle size distribution are the dominant effects.

An inexpensive preparation method is being reported for obtaining erbium doped gadolinium oxide (Er5%:Gd2O3) nanoscale rods. The elongated nanoscale systems, as-formed through a co-precipitation process, are characterized by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping, Ultra Violet-visible (UV-vis.) absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. In addition, the Williamson-Hall (W-H) plot is also performed to distinguish the effect of crystalline size-induced broadening and strain-induced broadening at full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the XRD profile. The XRD patterns of as-formed and calcined products show that the phase confirmation. As revealed from the SEM micrographs, the morphology of the products show that the rod-like nanoparticles. The EDX micrographs show that the presence of elements in our samples. The band gap values in calcined samples are found to be in the range of 3.569 eV. Upon 230 nm excitation on calcined samples, three broad emission peaks are observed from PL studies. The possible mechanism for the formation of Er5%:Gd2O3 nanorods is briefly discussed.

A series of (Eu-Ni) substituted Y-type hexaferrite with composition Sr2Co(2-x)NixEuyFe(12-y)O22 (x=0.0-1, Y=0.0-0.1) were prepared by the surfactant assisted co-precipitation method. The present samples were sintered at 1050 °C for 8 h. The shape of the particles is plate-like which is very advantageous for various applications and the grain size varies from 73 to 269 nm. The values of saturation magnetization (Ms), remanent magnetization (Mr) and magnetic moment (nB) were found to decrease which are attributed to the weakening of super exchange interactions. The values of in-plane Squareness ratios (Mr/Ms) ranging from 0.41 to 0.65 whereas in case of out of plane measurement it varies from 0.30 to 0.62.The investigated samples can be used in perpendicular recording media (PRM) due to high value of coercivity 2300 Oe which is analogous to the those of M-type and W-type hard magnetic.

In this paper, we report on the structural, vibrational and magnetic behavior of Ist group elements (Li+, Na+ and K+) codoping effect in ZnO:Fe nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by co-precipitation method. The single crystalline phase of the prepared NPs was identified as Wurtizite structure and the Raman spectra expressed the local structural change and the presence of complex lattice defects such as Zinc interstitial (Zni) and Oxygen vacanvy (V+o) defects in the NPs. The presence of functional groups was confirmed by FT-IR spectral analysis. The optical absorption properties of the prepared NPs were characterised by UV-Drs spectroscopy. The valance state of Zinc ions and the role of Oxygen related defects were analysed from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral line illustrated the presence of complex defects such as Zinc interstitial (Zni) and oxygen vacancy (V+o) defects in the sample. The observed room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) in the prepared sample was induced by lattice defects. The observed results are discussed and reported.

The effects of potassium addition and the potassium content on the activity and selectivity of coprecipitated iron catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) were studied in a fixed bed reactor at 1.5 MPa, 300°C, and contact time (W/F) of 12.5 gcath/mol using the model bio-oil-syngas of H2/CO/CO2/N2 (62/8/25/5, vol%). It was found that potassium addition increases the catalyst activity for FTS and the reverse water gas shift reaction. Moreover, potassium increases the average molecular weight (chain length) of the hydrocarbon products. With the increase of potassium content, it was found that CH4 selectivity decreases and the selectivity of liquid phase products (C5+) increases. The characteristics of FTS catalysts with different potassium content were also investigated by various characterization measurements including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area. Based on experimental results, 100Fe/6Cu/16Al/6K (weight ratio) was selected as the optimal catalyst for FTS from bio-oil-syngas. The results indicate that the 100Fe/6Cu/16Al/6K catalyst is one of the most promising candidates to directly synthesize liquid bio-fuel using bio-oil-syngas.

Polycrystalline gadolinium gallium mixed oxides were prepared by coprecipitation and annealing at various temperatures below 1000 °C. The oxide materials appear to be X-ray amorphous after a heat treatment at 500 °C for 30 h, but after 30 h at 800 and 900 °C a major, unreported, hexagonal phase, isostructural with TAlO 3 compounds (where T=Y, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er) appears to crystallize. On the other hand, a highly energetic mechanical treatment of the amorphous powder previously annealed at 500 °C changes considerably the shape and position of exothermal events occurring in the range from 700 up to 900 °C. Subsequent annealing at 900 °C of the mechanically treated powder gives rise to the complete formation of the Gd 3Ga 5O 12 garnet structure at the expense of the hexagonal phase and of the minor Gd 4Ga 2O 9 oxide phase. However, a 7.0 wt% contamination is found to be due to tetragonal zirconia coming from vials and balls colliding media. The garnet phase may have strong deviations from the nominal stoichiometry of the garnet, as suggested by the refined lattice parameter obtained from the powder diffraction patterns and by the remarkable absence of intensity relative to the (220) Bragg peak position.

In this work, nano-sized ZnO powders have been synthesized by the co-precipitation method with Zn(CH3COOH)2.2H2O, HCl, and NH3.H2O as raw materials in various pH ranging from 8 to 10. The purity, microstructure, chemical group analysis, morphology of the prepared ZnO powders were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. Rietveld refinement of XRD data showed that ZnO crystallizes in the wurtzite structure with high purity. The obtained powders were nano-sized particles with the average crystallite size about 17.9 ± 2.1 nm synthesized with pH of 9.5, at 85°C, and stirring time of 6 h. The SEM results have visualied the morphology of ZnO nanoparticles with spherical-like shape. The effect of processing conditions on morphology of ZnO was also discussed.

Magnetic Cr3+xFe3+2 - xFe2+O4 (0 ≦̸ x ≦̸ 0.1) porous nanoparticles were prepared by the aqueous co-precipitation method. The resulting magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by using an x-ray diffraction (XRD), field enhanced scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and vibrating sampling magnetometer (VSM). The nitrogen gas adsorption/desorption isotherm showed a microporous structure of the obtained magnetic materials. A rod and round shape of Fe3O4 was observed as using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant, respectively. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic properties with easy separation and re-dispersion in solution by using an external magnet. More remarkably, the saturation magnetization (Ms) was enhanced up to 1.2 times for doping Cr3+ into the Fe3O4 lattice. The effect of surfactants and Cr3+ doping concentrations on size and the magnetic properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles are studied.

A series of NixZn1-xFe2O4 (x=0.5, 0.6 and 0.7) ferrite nanoparticles have been synthesized using a co-precipitation technique, in order to understand the doping effect of nickel on their structural and magnetic properties. XRD and FTIR studies reveal the formation of spinel phase of ferrite samples. Substitution of nickel has promoted the growth of crystallite size (D), resulting the decrease of lattice strain (η). It was also observed that the lattice parameter (a) increases with the increase of Ni2+ ion concentration. All particles exhibit superparamagnetism at room temperature. The hyperfine interaction increases with the increase of nickel substitution, which can be assumed to the decrease of core-shell interactions present in the nanoparticles. The Mössbauer studies witness the existence of Fe3+ ions and absence of Fe2+ ions in the present systems. These superparamagnetic nanoparticles are supposed to be potential candidates for biomedical applications. The results are interpreted in terms of microstructure, cation redistribution and possible core-shell interactions.

Mitochondrial function is regulated by calcium. In addition to the long known effects of matrix Ca(2+), regulation of metabolite transport by extramitochondrial Ca(2+) represents an alternative Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism to regulate mitochondrial function. The Ca(2+) regulated mitochondrial transporters (CaMCs) are well suited for that role, as they contain long N-terminal extensions harboring EF-hand Ca(2+) binding domains facing the intermembrane space. They fall in two groups, the aspartate/glutamate exchangers, AGCs, major components of the NADH malate aspartate shuttle (MAS) and urea cycle, and the ATP-Mg(2+)/Pi exchangers or short CaMCs (APCs or SCaMCs). The AGCs are activated by relatively low Ca(2+) levels only slightly higher than resting Ca(2+), whereas all SCaMCs studied so far require strong Ca(2+) signals, above micromolar, for activation. In addition, AGCs are not strictly Ca(2+) dependent, being active even in Ca(2+)-free conditions. Thus, AGCs are well suited to respond to small Ca(2+) signals and that do not reach mitochondria. In contrast, ATP-Mg(2+)/Pi carriers are inactive in Ca(2+) free conditions and activation requires Ca(2+) signals that will also activate the calcium uniporter (MCU). By changing the net content of adenine nucleotides of the matrix upon activation, SCaMCs regulate the activity of the permeability transition pore, and the Ca(2+) retention capacity of mitochondria (CRC), two functions synergizing with those of the MCU. The different Ca(2+) activation properties of the two CaMCs are discussed in relation to their newly obtained structures. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondrial Channels edited by Pierre Sonveaux, Pierre Maechler and Jean-Claude Martinou. PMID:27033520

We describe a new technique for the synthesis of ultrahomogeneous nanoparticles of precursor oxalate powder by coprecipitation in the aqueous core of a water-in-oil microemulsion for the preparation of Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (2223) oxide superconductor. This process ensures a uniform mixing of metal cations down to a scale of at least 10 nm. This finely dispersed precursor powder results in phase pure (2223) oxide superconductor after proper heat treatment.

... operating revenues after applying the revenue deflator formula shown in Note A. (3) When a business combination occurs such as a merger, reorganization, or consolidation, the surviving carrier shall...

Time- and angle-resolved photoemission measurements on two doped graphene samples displaying different doping levels reveal remarkable differences in the ultrafast dynamics of the hot carriers in the Dirac cone. In the more strongly (n-)doped graphene, we observe larger carrier multiplication factors (>3) and a significantly faster phonon-mediated cooling of the carriers back to equilibrium compared to in the less (p-)doped graphene. These results suggest that a careful tuning of the doping level allows for an effective manipulation of graphene's dynamical response to a photoexcitation. PMID:25458168

A co-precipitation technique for nickel(II), chromium(II), manganese(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) with the aid of copper(II) cyclo-hexylmethyldithiocarbamate was established. The influences of some analytical parameters such as pH, sample volume, amounts of cyclo-hexylmethyldithiocarbamate and copper(II) on the recovery of metal ions were investigated. The heavy metals in the precipitate were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The range of detection limits for the heavy metals was 0.003-0.005 mg/L. The atomic spectrometric technique with co-precipitation procedure was successfully applied for the determination of Ni, Cr, Mn, Pb and Zn in industrial wastewater and sediment samples from Ladipo stream in Lagos, Nigeria. The mean concentrations for these metals using co-precipitation procedure were not significantly different from corresponding concentrations obtained using spectrometric techniques without co-precipitation procedure. PMID:22678206

Effects of tromethamine (Tris), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-K25), and low molecular weight chitosan (LM-CH) on dissolution and therapeutic efficacy of glimepiride (Gmp) were investigated using physical mixtures (PMs), coground mixtures, coprecipitates (Coppts) or kneaded mixtures (KMs), and compared with drug alone. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning colorimetry, and X-ray diffractometry were performed to identify any physicochemical interaction with Gmp. Surface morphology was examined via scanning electron microscopy. The results of Gmp in vitro dissolution revealed that it was greatly enhanced by Coppt with Tris or PVP-K25 and KM with LM-CH at a drug to carrier ratio of 1:8. Gmp amorphization by PVP-K25 and LM-CH was a major factor in increasing Gmp dissolution. Being basic, Tris might increase the pH of the microdiffusion layer around Gmp particles improving its dissolution. Formation of water-soluble complexes suggested by solubility study may also explain the enhanced dissolution. Capsules were prepared from Coppts and KM 1:8 drug to carrier binary systems and also with Tris PMs. In vivo, the hypoglycemic efficacy of Gmp capsules in rabbits increased by 1.63-, 1.50-, and 1.46-fold for 1:8 Coppts with Tris or PVP-K25 and KM with LM-CH respectively, compared with Gmp alone. Surprisingly, the response to Tris PM 1:20 capsules was 1.52-fold revealing statistically insignificant difference to that of Tris Coppt 1:8 (1.63 fold). As a conclusion, dissolution enhancement and hypoglycemic potentiation by 1:20 PM of Gmp/Tris, being simple and easy to prepare, may enable development of a reduced-dose and fast-release oral dosage form of Gmp. PMID:22843078

A novel method for bioassay of large volumes of human urine samples using manganese dioxide coprecipitation for preconcentration was developed for rapid determination of (237)Np. (242)Pu was utilized as a nonisotopic tracer to monitor the chemical yield of (237)Np. A sequential injection extraction chromatographic (SI-EC) system coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) was exploited to facilitate the rapid column separation and quantification. The analytical results demonstrated satisfactory performance of the MnO(2) coprecipitation as indicated by the high chemical yields close to 100% and high separation capacity of processing up to 5 L of human urine samples. The MnO(2) coprecipitation process is simple and straightforward in which a batch (8-12) of samples can be pretreated within 4 h (i.e., <0.5 h/sample). In connection with the automated column separation and ICPMS quantification, which takes less than 1.5 h in total, the overall analytical time was on average less than 2 h for each sample. The high effectiveness and sample throughput make the developed method well suited for urine bioassay of (237)Np in routine monitoring of occupationally internal radiation exposure and rapid analysis of neptunium contamination level for emergency preparedness. PMID:23252688

We have studied the structural, microstructural and magnetic properties of nanosized (~20 nm) Co0.2Zn0.8Fe2O4 synthesized by a flow rate controlled coprecipitation method. The phase purity and crystallinity of the sample have been confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopic studies. According to the results of dc magnetic measurements the sample exhibits superparamagnetic behavior above 70 K due to its nanometric size. This has been corroborated by Mössbauer spectroscopic study at 300 K. The infield Mössbauer spectroscopic study indicates that the sample behaves ferrimagnetically at 10 K and it possesses equilibrium cation distribution. The saturation magnetization of the sample (MSAT~32 emu g-1 at 300 K) is substantially lower than its bulk counterpart (MSAT=80 emu g-1) but higher than those having same composition synthesized by the conventional coprecipitation method. This has been attributed to finite size and spin canting effects as well as good crystalline character and bulk like equilibrium cation distribution of the sample. We have shown that the flow rate controlled coprecipitation method can produce nanosized ferrites with very good crystalline order and equilibrium cation distribution but they exhibit reduction of magnetization, magnetic order and ordering temperature compared to their bulk counterparts due to spin canting effect and finite size effect.

The Expert Motor Carrier Selection System (EMCASS) was designed as a Knowledge-Based System to help in traffic management at Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems). The primary function of the system is to suggest the optimal motor carrier(s) for a given freight shipment to or from Energy Systems. The system accepts a zip code (destination or origin) from the user, a shipment weight, and other related information in some cases. EMCASS then suggests the best carrier for that shipment, and journals the results. The objective of this project is to distribute the knowledge of the company`s traffic managers, and to emulate their decision processes as closely as possible.

The availability of inexpensive and quick precise frequency calibration methods is limited. VLF and GPS do offer precise calibration. However, antenna placement, cost of equipment, and calibration time place many restrictions on the user. The USNO maintained line-10 television Time of Coincidence (TOC) of station WTTG, channel 5, Washington, DC requires a frequency stable video carrier. This video carrier, 77.24 MHz is controlled by the same cesium beam standard controlling the TOC of line-10. Excellent frequency comparisons against this video carrier have been accomplished at 95 miles (153 km). With stable propagation and a three foot wire antenna, a part in 10(exp 9) can be determined in a few minutes. Inexpensive field equipment with a synthesized 1 kHz offset from the video carrier offers parts in 10(exp 11) calibrations in a few minutes using an oscilloscope as a phase comparator.

The Space Shuttle has been identified for use through 2020. Payload carrier systems will be needed to support missions through the same time frame. To support the future decision making process with reliable systems, it is necessary to analyze design integrity, identify possible sources of undesirable risk and recognize required upgrades for carrier systems. This project analyzed the information available regarding the carriers and developed the probability of becoming obsolete under different scenarios. In addition, this project resulted in a plan for an improved information system that will improve monitoring and control of the various carriers. The information collected throughout this project is presented in this report as process flow, historical records, and statistical analysis.

Transient photoluminescence is used to measure the minority carrier lifetime on n-type and p-type InP wafers. The measurements show that unprocessed InP wafers have very high minority carrier lifetimes. Lifetimes of 200 ns and 700 ns were observed for lightly-doped p- and n-type material respectively. Lifetimes over 5 ns were found in heavily doped n-type material.

We investigate hot carrier propagation across graphene using an electrical nonlocal injection/detection method. The device consists of a monolayer graphene flake contacted by multiple metal leads. Using two remote leads for electrical heating, we generate a carrier temperature gradient that results in a measurable thermoelectric voltage V(NL) across the remaining (detector) leads. Due to the nonlocal character of the measurement, V(NL) is exclusively due to the Seebeck effect. Remarkably, a departure from the ordinary relationship between Joule power P and V(NL), V(NL) ∼ P, becomes readily apparent at low temperatures, representing a fingerprint of hot-carrier dominated thermoelectricity. By studying V(NL) as a function of bias, we directly determine the carrier temperature and the characteristic cooling length for hot-carrier propagation, which are key parameters for a variety of new applications that rely on hot-carrier transport. PMID:25950746

The hot carrier cell aims to extract the electrical energy from photo-generated carriers before they thermalize to the band edges. Hence it can potentially achieve a high current and a high voltage and hence very high efficiencies up to 65% under 1 sun and 86% under maximum concentration. To slow the rate of carrier thermalisation is very challenging, but modification of the phonon energies and the use of nanostructures are both promising ways to achieve some of the required slowing of carrier cooling. A number of materials and structures are being investigated with these properties and test structures are being fabricated. Initial measurements indicate slowed carrier cooling in III-Vs with large phonon band gaps and in multiple quantum wells. It is expected that soon proof of concept of hot carrier devices will pave the way for their development to fully functioning high efficiency solar cells.

In phase measuring deflectometry (PMD), a camera observes a sinusoidal fringe pattern via the surface of a specular object under test. Any slope variations of the surface lead to distortions of the observed pattern. Without height-angle ambiguity, carrier removal process is adopted to evaluate the variation of surface slope from phase distribution when a quasi-plane is measured. However, in the usual measurement system, the carrier phase will be nonlinear due to the restrictions of system geometries. In this paper, based on the analytical carrier phase description in PMD, a carrier removal method is proposed to remove the nonlinear carrier phase. Both the theoretical analysis and the experiment results are presented. By comparison with reference-subtraction method and series-expansion method, this proposed method can achieve carrier removal process with only the measurement of one single object, as well as high accuracy and time-saving. PMID:24104069

Radio Science started when it became apparent with early Solar missions that occultations by planetary atmospheres would affect the quality of radio communications. Since then the atmospheric properties and other aspects of planetary science, solar science, and fundamental physics were studied by scientists. Radio Science data was always extracted from a received pure residual carrier (without data modulation). For some missions, it is very desirable to obtain Radio Science data from a suppressed carrier modulation. In this paper we propose a method to extract Radio Science data when a coded suppressed carrier modulation is used in deep space communications. Type of modulation can be BPSK, QPSK, OQPSK, MPSK or even GMSK. However we concentrate mostly on BPSK modulation. The proposed method for suppressed carrier simply tries to wipe out data that acts as an interference for Radio Science measurements. In order to measure the estimation errors in amplitude and phase of the Radio Science data we use Cramer-Rao bound (CRB). The CRB for the suppressed carrier modulation with non-ideal data wiping is then compared with residual carrier modulation under the same noise condition. The method of derivation of CRB for non-ideal data wiping is an innovative method that presented here. Some numerical results are provided for coded system.

Pollution caused by boric acid and toxic anions such as As(V), Cr(VI) and Se(VI) is hazardous to human health and environment. The sorption characteristics of these environmentally significant ionic species on allophane-like nanoparticles were investigated in order to determine whether allophane can reduce their mobility in the subsurface environment at circum-neutral pH condition. Solutions containing 100 or 150 mmol of AlCl(3)x6H(2)O were mixed to 100 mmol of Na(4)SiO(4) and the pH were adjusted to 6.4+/-0.3. The mineral suspensions were shaken for 1h and incubated at 80 degrees C for 5 days. Appropriate amounts of As, B, Cr and Se solutions were added separately during and after allophane precipitation. The results showed that As(V) and boric acid can be irreversibly fixed during co-precipitation in addition to surface adsorption. However, Cr(VI) and Se(VI) retention during and after allophane precipitation is mainly controlled by surface adsorption. The structurally fixed As(V) and boric acid were more resistant to release than those bound on the surface. The sorption characteristics of oxyanions and boric acid were also influenced by the final Si/Al molar ratio of allophane in which Al-rich allophane tend to have higher uptake capacity. The overall results of this study have demonstrated the role of allophane-like nanoparticles and the effect of its Si/Al ratio on As, B, Cr and Se transport processes in the subsurface environment. PMID:19493614

A method has been described for the determination of iron from fish otoliths containing high levels of calcium by collision cell technology (CCT) ICP-MS. Iron (Fe) in otolith solutions was quantitatively coprecipitated with small amounts of calcium hydroxide by adding 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution. The performance of CCT-ICP-MS pressurized with He/H(2) cell gas was investigated on the elimination of Ca-based spectral interferences at m/z 54, 56 and 57. Molecular ion interferences at m/z 54 and 56 were reduced by 2 orders of magnitude. However, the interferences at m/z 57 increased by the same amount in the presence of Ca in solutions owing to the formation of (40)Ca(16) OH(+) through reactions with H(2) in collision cell, indicating that (57)Fe was not suitable for the determination of Fe from otoliths. Results for (56)Fe suffered significantly from interferences of Ca-based molecular ions when the Ca concentration in solution exceeded 100 microg ml(-1), for which matrix-matched calibration was required for accurate determination. CCT with the aid of He/H(2) cell gas proved to be very effective in eliminating the interferences ((40)Ar(14)N(+) and (40)Ca(14)N(+)) at m/z 54. Presence of Ca up to 300 microg ml(-1) had virtually no effect on the ion signals of (54)Fe, which with low background signals, afforded accurate determination of Fe from otoliths by using aqueous external standards. PMID:17294508

Addition of common dietary carbohydrates to Millipore-treated human whole saliva either enhances or inhibits the formation of salivary precipitates, some carbohydrates showing no effect. The purpose of this study was to investigate the precipitation conditions more thoroughly and to elucidate the chemical nature of the precipitates formed. D-Xylose either enhanced precipitation (in long-term incubations) or had no appreciable effect (in 10 minute incubations). Other aldo- and keto-sugars and disaccharides (maltose, sucrose, lactose) generally enhanced precipitation, whereas all polyols (xylitol, D-sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol) retarded the formation of turbidity in saliva. Xylitol inhibited formation of precipitates also in the presence of D-xylose, dextrans, and starch. Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) of EDTA-soluble pellets obtained by centrifugation of the precipitates produced two major protein fractions (I and II) with a molecular weight of 112,000 and 46,000, respectively. The carbohydrates exerted a selective effect on the relative size of I and II in that polyol incubations resulted in a I to II ratio of 1:3, whereas control incubations (without added sugars) and incubations with other carbohydrates gave ratios of 1:6 to 1:10. Both peaks contained large amounts of acidic amino acids, proline, and glycine. The saliva precipitates contained a substantial portion of a crystalline phase that had the crystal structure of apatite, the individual crystallites being extremely small (less than 1 micron) with a Ca:P ratio of 1.46. The carbohydrates had a similar effect on the overall inorganic composition of the precipitates, but they had a clearly selective effect on the rate of formation of precipitates and on the relative amount of coprecipitating salivary proteins. This selectivity indicates that these carbohydrates, when consumed habitually, may exert different effects on the precipitation of Ca-salts at mineral-deficient enamel and dentine sites

A multi-element preconcentration-separation technique for heavy metal ions in environmental samples has been established. The procedure is based on coprecipitation of gold(III), bismuth(III), cobalt(II), chromium(III), iron(III), manganese(II), nickel(II), lead(II), thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) ions by the aid of Cu(II)-9-phenyl-3-fluorone precipitate. The Cu(II)-9-phenyl-3-fluorone precipitate was dissolved by the addition 1.0 mL of concentrated HNO(3) and then the solution was completed to 5 mL with distilled water. Iron, lead, cobalt, chromium, manganese and nickel levels in the final solution were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometer, while gold, bismuth, uranium and thorium were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The optimal conditions are pH 7, amounts of 9-phenyl-3-fluorone: 5mg and amounts of Cu(II): 1mg. The effects of concomitant ions as matrix were also examined. The preconcentration factor was 30. Gold(III), bismuth(III), chromium(III), iron(III), lead(II) and thorium(IV) were quantitatively recovered from the real samples. The detection limits for the analyte elements based on 3 sigma (n=15) were in the range of 0.05-12.9 microg L(-1). The validation of the presented procedure was checked by the analysis of two certified reference materials (Montana I Soil (NIST-SRM 2710) and Lake Sediment (IAEA-SL-1)). The procedure was successfully applied to some environmental samples including water and sediments. PMID:19071860

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The grain size of the ITO is decreased from 28.7 to 9.0 nm by increasing Sn dopant. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The strain values increased with the incorporation of Sn in In{sub 2}O{sub 3} host lattice. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The lower resistivity of 4.9 {Omega} cm is obtained for 10 at.% Sn doped ITO. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The band gap varies from 3.62 to 3.89 eV with dopant concentration of Sn. -- Abstract: In the present study, the synthesis of Tin doped indium oxide (ITO) nanopowder at different compositions (In/Sn = 0, 5, 10, 15 at %) was carried out by co-precipitation method. The decomposition of precipitated indium tin acetylacetonate precursor to form In{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SnO{sub 2} (Sn{sub 1-x}In{sub x}O{sub 2}) at 400 Degree-Sign C was confirmed by the thermal and FTIR studies. The changes in strain and grain size of the synthesized particle with respect to dopant concentration were determined from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images support to confirm the grain size. The optical properties on ITO nanoparticles were analyzed with UV-visible spectroscopy, and band gap was found to vary from 3.62 to 3.89 eV with Sn dopant concentration. This variation was ascribed to the quantum confinement effect.

The CMSS has designed, fabricated, and qualified a unique Materials FLight EXperiment (MFLEX) carrier. The MFLEX is a reusable materials experiment carrier designed to support a wide array of sensors that measure synergistic effects on candidate space materials in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The MFLEX can be integrated on a variety of launch vehicles/carriers and multiple units can be networked to optimize the surface area of carriers such as the Hitchhiker-M currently being built by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

Staphylococcus aureus is presently regarded as an emerging zoonotic agent due to the spread of specific methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones in pig farms. Studying the microbiota can be useful for the identification of bacteria that antagonize such opportunistic veterinary and zoonotic pathogen in animal carriers. The aim of this study was to determine whether the nasal microbiome of pig S. aureus carriers differs from that of non-carriers. The V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced from nasal swabs of 44 S. aureus carriers and 56 non-carriers using the 454 GS FLX titanium system. Carriers and non-carriers were selected on the basis of quantitative longitudinal data on S. aureus carriage in 600 pigs sampled at 20 Danish herds included in two previous studies in Denmark. Raw sequences were analysed with the BION meta package and the resulting abundance matrix was analysed using the DESeq2 package in R to identify operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with differential abundance between S. aureus carriers and non-carriers. Twenty OTUs were significantly associated to non-carriers, including species with known probiotic potential and antimicrobial effect such as lactic acid-producing isolates described among Leuconostoc spp. and some members of the Lachnospiraceae family, which is known for butyrate production. Further 5 OTUs were significantly associated to carriage, including known pathogenic bacteria such as Pasteurella multocida and Klebsiella spp. Our results show that the nasal microbiome of pigs that are not colonized with S. aureus harbours several species/taxa that are significantly less abundant in pig carriers, suggesting that the nasal microbiota may play a role in the individual predisposition to S. aureus nasal carriage in pigs. Further research is warranted to isolate these bacteria and assess their possible antagonistic effect on S. aureus for the pursuit of new strategies to control MRSA in pig farming. PMID:27509169

Staphylococcus aureus is presently regarded as an emerging zoonotic agent due to the spread of specific methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones in pig farms. Studying the microbiota can be useful for the identification of bacteria that antagonize such opportunistic veterinary and zoonotic pathogen in animal carriers. The aim of this study was to determine whether the nasal microbiome of pig S. aureus carriers differs from that of non-carriers. The V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced from nasal swabs of 44 S. aureus carriers and 56 non-carriers using the 454 GS FLX titanium system. Carriers and non-carriers were selected on the basis of quantitative longitudinal data on S. aureus carriage in 600 pigs sampled at 20 Danish herds included in two previous studies in Denmark. Raw sequences were analysed with the BION meta package and the resulting abundance matrix was analysed using the DESeq2 package in R to identify operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with differential abundance between S. aureus carriers and non-carriers. Twenty OTUs were significantly associated to non-carriers, including species with known probiotic potential and antimicrobial effect such as lactic acid-producing isolates described among Leuconostoc spp. and some members of the Lachnospiraceae family, which is known for butyrate production. Further 5 OTUs were significantly associated to carriage, including known pathogenic bacteria such as Pasteurella multocida and Klebsiella spp. Our results show that the nasal microbiome of pigs that are not colonized with S. aureus harbours several species/taxa that are significantly less abundant in pig carriers, suggesting that the nasal microbiota may play a role in the individual predisposition to S. aureus nasal carriage in pigs. Further research is warranted to isolate these bacteria and assess their possible antagonistic effect on S. aureus for the pursuit of new strategies to control MRSA in pig farming. PMID:27509169

...) The departure of the visual carrier frequency of a TV station may not exceed ±1000 Hz from the assigned visual carrier frequency. (2) The departure of the aural carrier frequency of a TV station may not exceed ±1000 Hz from the actual visual carrier frequency plus exactly 4.5 MHz. (d)...

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Foreign air carriers. 389.24 Section 389.24...) ORGANIZATION FEES AND CHARGES FOR SPECIAL SERVICES Filing and Processing License Fees § 389.24 Foreign air carriers. A foreign air carrier, or such carriers, if from the same country, acting jointly, may apply...

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Foreign air carriers. 389.24 Section 389.24...) ORGANIZATION FEES AND CHARGES FOR SPECIAL SERVICES Filing and Processing License Fees § 389.24 Foreign air carriers. A foreign air carrier, or such carriers, if from the same country, acting jointly, may apply...

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Foreign air carriers. 389.24 Section 389.24...) ORGANIZATION FEES AND CHARGES FOR SPECIAL SERVICES Filing and Processing License Fees § 389.24 Foreign air carriers. A foreign air carrier, or such carriers, if from the same country, acting jointly, may apply...

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Persons, carriers, and things. 71.32 Section 71.32... the Director has reason to believe that any arriving carrier or article or thing on board the carrier..., disinfection, disinfestation, fumigation, or other related measures respecting the carrier or article or...

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Persons, carriers, and things. 71.32 Section 71.32... the Director has reason to believe that any arriving carrier or article or thing on board the carrier..., disinfection, disinfestation, fumigation, or other related measures respecting the carrier or article or...

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Foreign air carriers. 389.24 Section 389.24...) ORGANIZATION FEES AND CHARGES FOR SPECIAL SERVICES Filing and Processing License Fees § 389.24 Foreign air carriers. A foreign air carrier, or such carriers, if from the same country, acting jointly, may apply...

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Power line carrier systems. 15.113 Section 15... Radiators § 15.113 Power line carrier systems. Power line carrier systems, as defined in § 15.3(t), are subject only to the following requirements: (a) A power utility operating a power line carrier...

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Power line carrier systems. 15.113 Section 15... Radiators § 15.113 Power line carrier systems. Power line carrier systems, as defined in § 15.3(t), are subject only to the following requirements: (a) A power utility operating a power line carrier...

This research program addresses a fundamental question related to the use of nanomaterials in solar energy -- namely, whether semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) can help surpass the efficiency limits, the so-called “Shockley-Queisser” limit, in conventional solar cells. In these cells, absorption of photons with energies above the semiconductor bandgap generates “hot” charge carriers that quickly “cool” to the band edges before they can be utilized to do work; this sets the solar cell efficiency at a limit of ~31%. If instead, all of the energy of the hot carriers could be captured, solar-to-electric power conversion efficiencies could be increased, theoretically, to as high as 66%. A potential route to capture this energy is to utilize semiconductor nanocrystals. In these materials, the quasi-continuous conduction and valence bands of the bulk semiconductor become discretized due to confinement of the charge carriers. Consequently, the energy spacing between the electronic levels can be much larger than the highest phonon frequency of the lattice, creating a “phonon bottleneck” wherein hot-carrier relaxation is possible via slower multiphonon emission. For example, hot-electron lifetimes as long as ~1 ns have been observed in NCs grown by molecular beam epitaxy. In colloidal NCs, long lifetimes have been demonstrated through careful design of the nanocrystal interfaces. Due to their ability to slow electronic relaxation, semiconductor NCs can in principle enable extraction of hot carriers before they cool to the band edges, leading to more efficient solar cells.

... exchange carriers. 69.105 Section 69.105 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED... for non-price cap local exchange carriers. (a) This section is applicable only to local exchange.... Until June 30, 2003, a charge that is expressed in dollars and cents per line per access minute of...

... exchange carriers. 69.105 Section 69.105 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED... for non-price cap local exchange carriers. (a) This section is applicable only to local exchange.... Until June 30, 2003, a charge that is expressed in dollars and cents per line per access minute of...

... exchange carriers. 69.105 Section 69.105 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED... for non-price cap local exchange carriers. (a) This section is applicable only to local exchange.... Until June 30, 2003, a charge that is expressed in dollars and cents per line per access minute of...

... exchange carriers. 69.105 Section 69.105 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED... for non-price cap local exchange carriers. (a) This section is applicable only to local exchange.... Until June 30, 2003, a charge that is expressed in dollars and cents per line per access minute of...

... exchange carriers. 69.105 Section 69.105 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED... for non-price cap local exchange carriers. (a) This section is applicable only to local exchange.... Until June 30, 2003, a charge that is expressed in dollars and cents per line per access minute of...

We present a microscopic study on the impact of doping on the carrier dynamics in graphene, in particular focusing on its influence on the technologically relevant carrier multiplication in realistic, doped graphene samples. Treating the time- and momentum-resolved carrier-light, carrier-carrier, and carrier-phonon interactions on the same microscopic footing, the appearance of Auger-induced carrier multiplication up to a Fermi level of 300 meV is revealed. Furthermore, we show that doping favors the so-called hot carrier multiplication occurring within one band. Our results are directly compared to recent time-resolved ARPES measurements and exhibit an excellent agreement on the temporal evolution of the hot carrier multiplication for n- and p-doped graphene. The gained insights shed light on the ultrafast carrier dynamics in realistic, doped graphene samples. PMID:26577536

Impedance spectroscopy (IS) is one of the most important methods for analyzing transport properties of semiconducting thin films. At present carrier mobility can be determined by IS methods only for Ohmic contacted single-carrier devices, which hinders the use of the IS method for determining the carrier mobility of thin films with high-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbits or low-lying highest occupied molecular orbits. Based on the theory of space charge limited current conduction and thermionic emission at metal-organic interface, we developed a numerical IS model for single-carrier organic devices with Schottky injection contact. With the help of this model, a concise empirical formula is obtained from which the carrier mobility can be determined from the characteristic frequency of the negative differential susceptance and the Schottky energy barrier height at the injection contact.

Adsorption of germanium on goethite was studied at 25 °C in batch reactors as a function of pH (1-12), germanium concentration in solution (10 -7 to 0.002 M) and solid/solution ratio (1.8-17 g/L). The maximal surface site density determined via Ge adsorption experiments at pH from 6 to 10 is equal to 2.5 ± 0.1 μmol/m 2. The percentage of adsorbed Ge increases with pH at pH < 9, reaches a maximum at pH ˜ 9 and slightly decreases when pH is further increased to 11. These results allowed generation of a 2-p K Surface Complexation Model (SCM) which implies a constant capacitance of the electric double layer and postulates the presence of two Ge complexes, >FeO-Ge(OH)30 and >FeO-GeO(OH)2-, at the goethite-solution interface. Coprecipitation of Ge with iron oxy(hydr)oxides formed during Fe(II) oxidation by atmospheric oxygen or by Fe(III) hydrolysis in neutral solutions led to high Ge incorporations in solid with maximal Ge/Fe molar ratio close to 0.5. The molar Ge/Fe ratio in precipitated solid is proportional to that in the initial solution according to the equation (Ge/Fe) solid = k × (Ge/Fe) solution with 0.7 ⩽ k ⩽ 1.0. The structure of adsorbed and coprecipitated Ge complexes was further characterized using XAFS spectroscopy. In agreement with previous data on oxyanions adsorption on goethite, bi-dentate bi-nuclear surface complexes composed of tetrahedrally coordinated Ge attached to the corners of two adjacent Fe octahedra represent the dominant contribution to the EXAFS signal. Coprecipitated samples with Ge/Fe molar ratios >0.1, and samples not aged in solution (<1 day) having intermediate Ge/Fe ratios (0.01-0.1) show 4 ± 0.3 oxygen atoms at 1.76 ± 0.01 Å around Ge. Samples less concentrated in Ge (0.001 < Ge/Fe < 0.10) and aged longer times in solution (up to 280 days) exhibit a splitting of the first atomic shell with Ge in both tetrahedral ( R = 1.77 ± 0.02 Å) and octahedral ( R = 1.92 ± 0.03 Å) coordination with oxygen. In these samples

As the market for telemedicine products and services expands, many long distance telecommunications carriers and regional Bell operating companies developed strategies for meeting healthcare's needs. Some initiated projects to display their capabilities or to receive returns on investments in telecommunications infrastructures. Their capabilities and use of advanced technologies vary. The level of their healthcare commitment and involvement also varies. Regional Bell companies compete fiercely with each other and with national carriers for consulting and implementation contracts, unrestricted by service area boundaries. On the following pages, representatives from most of the major telecommunications carriers express their firms' healthcare strategies and offer synopses of their notable healthcare projects. For many, their resources are vast, their expertise undisputed. Access to high-quality healthcare services stands to benefit from their involvement. PMID:10138394

For safe and effective therapy, drugs must be delivered efficiently and with minimal systemic side effects. Nanostructured drug carriers enable the delivery of small-molecule drugs as well as nucleic acids and proteins. Inorganic nanomaterials are ideal for drug delivery platforms due to their unique physicochemical properties, such as facile preparation, good storage stability and biocompatibility. Many inorganic nanostructure-based drug delivery platforms have been prepared. Although there are still many obstacles to overcome, significant advances have been made in recent years. This review focuses on the status and development of inorganic nanostructures, including silica, quantum dots, gold, carbon-based and magnetic iron oxide-based nanostructures, as carriers for chemical and biological drugs. We specifically highlight the extensive use of these inorganic drug carriers for cancer therapy. Finally, we discuss the most important areas in the field that urgently require further study. PMID:27301169

Polymer-based nanogel formulations offer features attractive for drug delivery, including ease of synthesis, controllable swelling and viscoelasticity as well as drug loading and release characteristics, passive and active targeting, and the ability to formulate nanogel carriers that can respond to biological stimuli. These unique features and low toxicity make the nanogels a favorable option for vascular drug targeting. In this review, we address key chemical and biological aspects of nanogel drug carrier design. In particular, we highlight published studies of nanogel design, descriptions of nanogel functional characteristics and their behavior in biological models. These studies form a compendium of information that supports the scientific and clinical rationale for development of this carrier for targeted therapeutic interventions. PMID:25485112

Carrier multiplication in nanostructures promises great improvements in a number of widely used technologies, among others photodetectors and solar cells. The decade since its discovery was ridden with fierce discussions about its true existence, magnitude, and mechanism. Here, we introduce a novel, purely spectroscopic approach for investigation of carrier multiplication in nanocrystals. Applying this method to silicon nanocrystals in an oxide matrix, we obtain an unambiguous spectral signature of the carrier multiplication process and reveal details of its size-dependent characteristics-energy threshold and efficiency. The proposed method is generally applicable and suitable for both solid state and colloidal samples, as well as for a great variety of different materials. PMID:26852922

The carrier lifetimes in thin-film solar cells are reviewed and discussed. Shockley-Read-Hall recombination is dominant at low carrier density, Auger recombination is dominant under a high injection condition and high carrier density, and surface recombination is dominant under any conditions. Because the surface photovoltage technique is insensitive to the surface condition, it is useful for bulk lifetime measurements. The photoconductance decay technique measures the effective recombination lifetime. The time-resolved photoluminescence technique is very useful for measuring thin-film semiconductor or solar-cell materials lifetime, because the sample is thin, other techniques are not suitable for measuring the lifetime. Many papers have provided time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) lifetimes for copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) and CdTe thin-film solar cell. The TRPL lifetime strongly depends on open-circuit voltage and conversion efficiency; however, the TRPL life time is insensitive to the short-circuit current.

Carrier multiplication in nanostructures promises great improvements in a number of widely used technologies, among others photodetectors and solar cells. The decade since its discovery was ridden with fierce discussions about its true existence, magnitude, and mechanism. Here, we introduce a novel, purely spectroscopic approach for investigation of carrier multiplication in nanocrystals. Applying this method to silicon nanocrystals in an oxide matrix, we obtain an unambiguous spectral signature of the carrier multiplication process and reveal details of its size-dependent characteristics-energy threshold and efficiency. The proposed method is generally applicable and suitable for both solid state and colloidal samples, as well as for a great variety of different materials. PMID:26852922

In this paper the radio loss results for (8920,1/3), (8920,1/6), (1783,1/3) and (1784,1/6) codes are presented. These radio losses were calculated through simulations for a range of data rates. These simulations included both suppressed carrier modulation and residual carrier modulation cases. The radio losses were calculated for a frame error rate of 3 x 10^-4 for (8920,1/3) and (8920,1/6) codes and 3 frame error rate of 6 x 10^-5 for (1764,1/3) and (1784,1/6) codes. The simulations for the residual carrier case were run for loop signal to noise ratios of 13dB, 15dB and 17dB with a loop bandwidth of 10Hz. The simulations for the suppressed carrier case were run for a loop of signal to noise ratio of 17dB. The results of these simulations indicate that the radio losses for turbo codes are low enough to warrant their use in deep space links (maximum of 1dB loss at 17dB loop signal to noise ratio for residual carrier and 1.3dB loss at 17dB loop signal to noise ratio for suppressed carrier at high data rates). Furthermore, these results indicate that by normalizing the radio losses for frame size, loop bandwidth and the loop signal to noise ratio, a single curve could be used for calculating the radio loss for any given data rate at any given loop signal to noise ratio.

In this paper, cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) are synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of a cubical zinc blend structure of CdS nanoparticles. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images revealed that the CdS QDs are of 2-5 nm in size. The UV-vis absorption spectra showed an absorption peak at 427 nm (˜2.90 eV) indicating a blue shift of 0.48 eV as compared to bulk CdS. We estimated the particle sizes with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns (3.665 nm) and the shift of the band gap absorption in the UV-vis spectrum (4.276 nm), which is very close to the TEM micrograph result. The photoluminescence spectrum shows three major emission peaks centered at 453 nm (˜2.73 eV), 526 nm (˜2.35 eV) and 551 nm (˜2.24 eV) at room temperature, which may be attributed to excitonic transitions, donor-acceptor (D-A) pairs recombination and the sulphur interstitial defects (Is) present in the band gap. To study the photoconductivity, the field dependence of the photocurrent and the dark-current was assessed, as was the time-resolved rise and decay photocurrent spectrum and wavelength-dependence photocurrent spectrum assessment of the CdS QDs. The time-resolved rise and decay photocurrent spectra exhibited negative photoconductivity (NPC) behavior when the CdS QDs were illuminated with 490 nm light. Such anomalous NPC may be attributed to the light-induced desorption of water molecules. The wavelength-dependence of the photocurrent was found to be close to the absorption and PL spectrum. The photoconductivity properties of the CdS QDs were measured using a thick film of powder without any binder. These CdS QDs can find potential application in optoelectronic devices and photodetectors.

Europium doped silver tungstates α-Ag2-3xEuxWO4 (x = 0, 0.0025, 0.005, 0.0075 and 0.01 mol) were synthesized by the coprecipitation method at 90 °C for 30 minutes. These crystals were structurally characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rietveld refinement, and micro-Raman (MR) and Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images were employed to observe the shape of the crystals. The optical properties were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The XRD pattern indicated structural organization at a long range for all undoped and Eu-doped samples, while MR and FT-IR revealed that the presence of the Eu(3+) ions favors the structural organization at a short range. The Rietveld refinement showed that all the crystals are monophasic with an orthorhombic structure and the Pn2[combining macron]n space group. The refined lattice parameters and atomic positions were employed to model the WO6 and AgOn (n = 2, 4, 6 and 7) polyhedra in the unit cell. FE-SEM analysis revealed nanorod-like microcrystals with growth of metallic silver on the surface. Further, the UV-vis absorption spectra indicated the existence of intermediary energy levels within the band gap. PL spectra showed a broad band related to the [WO6] group and characteristic narrow peaks due to the f-f transitions of Eu(3+) as a result of efficient energy transfer from the matrix. Also, the emission line shape transitions from (5)D0 to (7)FJ (J = 0-4) levels of the Eu(3+) were noticed. Among the samples, the most intense photoluminescence results were observed for the α-Ag2-3xEuxWO4 (x = 0.0075) sample. Lifetime decays support that the Eu(3+) ions occupy at least two crystallographic sites. CIE coordinates confirmed the colors of the emission spectra which classify this material as a potential phosphor in the visible range. PMID:26394903

Ferrihydrite (Fh) is a widespread poorly crystalline Fe oxide which becomes easily coated by natural organic matter (OM) in the environment. This mineral-bound OM entirely changes the mineral surface properties and therefore the reactivity of the original mineral. Here, we investigated the reactivity of 2-line Fh, Fh with adsorbed OM and Fh coprecipitated with OM towards microbial and abiotic reduction of Fe(III). As a surrogate for dissolved soil OM we used a water extract of a Podzol forest floor. Fh-OM associations with different OM-loadings were reduced either by Geobacter bremensis or abiotically by Na-dithionite. Both types of experiments showed decreasing initial Fe reduction rates and decreasing degrees of reduction with increasing amounts of mineral-bound OM. At similar OM-loadings, coprecipitated Fhs were more reactive than Fhs with adsorbed OM. The difference can be explained by the smaller crystal size and poor crystallinity of such coprecipitates. At small OM loadings this led to even faster Fe reduction rates than found for pure Fh. The amount of mineral-bound OM also affected the formation of secondary minerals: goethite was only found after reduction of OM-free Fh and siderite was only detected when Fhs with relatively low amounts of mineral-bound OM were reduced. We conclude that direct contact of G. bremensis to the Fe oxide mineral surface was inhibited when blocked by OM. Consequently, mineral-bound OM shall be taken into account besides Fe(II) accumulation as a further widespread mechanism to slow down reductive dissolution.

Highlights: • Dy{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanopowders were prepared by co-precipitation and eco-friendly green combustion route using plant latex. • Both the products show excellent chromaticity coordinates in the white region, which were quite useful for white LED’s. • Thermoluminescence response of the Dy{sub 2}O{sub 3} product prepared by green synthesis was higher when compared to co-precipitation route. • Structural parameters of Dy{sub 2}O{sub 3} were estimated using Rietveld refinement. • The development of nanosize materials using eco-friendly resources was an attractive non-hazardous chemical route. - Abstract: Dysprosium oxide (Dy{sub 2}O{sub 3}) nanopowders were prepared by co-precipitation (CP) and eco-friendly green combustion (GC) routes. SEM micrographs prepared by CP route show smooth rods with various lengths and diameters while, GC route show porous, agglomerated particles. The results were further confirmed by TEM. Thermoluminescence (TL) responses of the nanopowder prepared by both the routes were studied using γ-rays. A well resolved glow peak at 353 °C along with less intense peak at 183 °C was observed in GC route while, in CP a single glow peak at 364 °C was observed. The kinetic parameters were estimated using Chen’s glow peak route. Photoluminescence (PL) of Dy{sub 2}O{sub 3} shows peaks at 481, 577, 666 and 756 nm which were attributed to Dy{sup 3+} transitions of {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}⟶{sup 6}H{sub 15/2}, {sup 6}H{sub 13/2}, {sup 6}H{sub 11/2} and {sup 6}H{sub 9/2}, respectively. Color co-ordinate values were located in the white region as a result the product may be useful for the fabrication of WLED’S.

YAG nanopowders with an average grain size of 30 nm have been successfully synthesized by the co-precipitation method using nitrates with precipitant of ammonium hydrogen carbonate. The influence of precipitation conditions such as pH, aging time and calcination temperature on the formation of secondary phases has been studied. The accurate control of pH value at every stage of precipitation process is crucial to avoid the presence of YAM (Yttrium Aluminium Monoclinic, Y{sub 4}Al{sub 2}O{sub 9}) and yttrium oxide (Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) after calcination. The reaction mechanisms have been investigated using different techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and thermal analyses. The YAG phase is formed around 1050 Degree-Sign C passing through an intermediate phase called YAP (Yttrium Aluminium Perovskite, YAlO{sub 3}). Local chemical heterogeneities are responsible for the deviation of the Y:Al ratio and the formation of YAP during heat treatment. - Graphical abstract: Synthesis of YAG nanopowder by the co-precipitation method: Influence of pH and study of the reaction mechanisms, Marlot et al. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synthesis of pure YAG nanoparticles by the co-precipitation method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Influence of pH value on the formation of secondary phases all along the process. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Study of the importance of pH using titration method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Chemical evolution of the precursor during calcinations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Proposition for reaction mechanisms.

Nanoparticulate (NP) drug carrier systems are attractive vehicles for selective drug delivery to solid tumors. Ideally, NPs should evade clearance by the reticuloendothelial system while maintaining the ability to interact with tumor cells and facilitate cellular uptake. Great effort has been made to fulfill these design criteria, yielding various types of functionalized NPs. Another important consideration in NP design is the physical and functional stability during circulation, which, if ignored, can significantly undermine the promise of intelligently designed NP drug carriers. This commentary reviews several NP examples with stability issues and their consequences, ending in a discussion of experimental methods for reliable prediction of NP stability. PMID:24214175

An improvement in the bismuth phosphate carrier precipitation process for recovering plutonium is described. It has been found that a more granular and more easily filterable carrier precipitiite is formed if the addition of the bismuth and phosphate ions is effected by first adding 9/10 of the bismuth ions necessary, then slowly adding all of the source of the phosphate ions to be incorporated in the precipitate, while digesting at 75 C and afterwards incorporating the remainder of the total bismuth ions necessary

Continuous efforts have been devoted to searching for sustainable energy resources to alleviate the upcoming energy crises. Among various types of new energy resources, solar energy has been considered as one of the most promising choices, since it is clean, sustainable, and safe. Moreover, solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy, with a total power of 173 000 terawatts striking Earth continuously. Conversion of solar energy into chemical energy, which could potentially provide continuous and flexible energy supplies, has been investigated extensively. However, the conversion efficiency is still relatively low since complicated physical, electrical, and chemical processes are involved. Therefore, carefully designed photocatalysts with a wide absorption range of solar illumination, a high conductivity for charge carriers, a small number of recombination centers, and fast surface reaction kinetics are required to achieve a high activity. This Account describes our recent efforts to enhance the utilization of charge carriers for semiconductor photocatalysts toward efficient solar-to-chemical energy conversion. During photocatalytic reactions, photogenerated electrons and holes are involved in complex processes to convert solar energy into chemical energy. The initial step is the generation of charge carriers in semiconductor photocatalysts, which could be enhanced by extending the light absorption range. Integration of plasmonic materials and introduction of self-dopants have been proved to be effective methods to improve the light absorption ability of photocatalysts to produce larger amounts of photogenerated charge carriers. Subsequently, the photogenerated electrons and holes migrate to the surface. Therefore, acceleration of the transport process can result in enhanced solar energy conversion efficiency. Different strategies such as morphology control and conductivity improvement have been demonstrated to achieve this goal. Fine-tuning of the

The structure of linear strings carrying information is investigated by means of entropy concepts. First conditional entropy and transinformation are introduced and several generalizations are discussed. The capability to describe the structure of information carriers as DNA, proteins, texts and musical strings is investigated. The relation between order and the predictability of informational strings is discussed. As examples we study the mutual information function of virus DNA and several long proteins. Further we show some (rather formal) analogies to the structure of texts, and strings generated by musical melodies. It is shown that several information carriers show long-range correlations. PMID:9648674

A method is given for dissolving and reprecipitating an oxalate carrier precipitate in a carrier precipitation process for separating and recovering plutonium from an aqueous solution. Uranous oxalate, together with plutonium being carried thereby, is dissolved in an aqueous alkaline solution. Suitable alkaline reagents are the carbonates and oxulates of the alkali metals and ammonium. An oxidizing agent selected from hydroxylamine and hydrogen peroxide is then added to the alkaline solution, thereby oxidizing uranium to the hexavalent state. The resulting solution is then acidified and a source of uranous ions provided in the acidified solution, thereby forming a second plutoniumcarrying uranous oxalate precipitate.

The conditions for the coprecipitation of Bi{sup 3+}, Pb{sup 2+}, Ca{sup 2+} as oxalates are reported. These oxalates were used as precursors for the formation of Bi{sub 2-y}Pb{sub y}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} superconducting ceramics. The behavior of the oxalates upon heat treatment was studied by thermogravimetry. Both the oxalates and the superconducting oxides were analyzed and characterized by atomic absorption spectroscopy and by X-ray diffraction.

Gallium and Indium co-substituted Yb, Er:YAG was fabricated through the chemical co-precipitation method. The formation process and structure of the Ga3+ and In3+ substituted phosphor powders were characterized by the X-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetry analyzer, infrared spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the effects of Ga3+ and In3+ concentration on the luminescence properties were investigated by spectrum. The results showed that the blue shift occurred after the substitution of Ga3+ and In3+ for Al3+ in matrix, and the intensity of emission spectrum was affected by the concentration of Ga3+ and In3+. PMID:27451659

Carrier-phase measurement is one of the ways to improve the measurement resolution of two-way satellite frequency transfer. We introduce two possible methods for carrier-phase measurement: direct carrier-phase detection identified by Two-Way Carrier-Phase (TWCP) and the use of carrier-frequency information identified by Two-Way Carrier Frequency (TWCF). We performed the former using an arbitrary waveform generator and an analog-to-digital sampler and the latter using a conventional modem. The TWCF measurement using the modem had a resolution of 10-13 and the result agreed with that obtained by GPS carrier-phase frequency transfer in a 1500 km baseline. The measurement accuracy may have been limited by the poor frequency resolution of the modem; however, the TWCF measurement was able to improve the stability of conventional two-way satellite frequency transfer. Additionally, we show that the TWCP measurement system has the potential to achieve a frequency stability of 10-17.

A contactless, all-optical technique for semiconductor charge carrier lifetime characterization is reviewed. The technique is based upon measurements of free carrier absorption transients by an infrared probe beam following electron-hole pair excitation by a pulsed laser beam. Main features are a direct probing of the excess carrier density coupled with a homogeneous carrier distribution within the sample, enabling precision studies of different recombination mechanisms. We show that the method is capable of measuring the lifetime over a broad range of injections (1013-1018 cm-3) probing both the minority carrier lifetime, the high injection lifetime and Auger recombination, as well as the transition between these ranges. Performance and limitations of the technique, such as lateral resolution, are addressed while application of the technique for lifetime mapping and effects of surface recombination is outlined in a companion article [J. Appl. Phys. 84, 284 (1998), part II]. Results from detailed studies of the injection dependence yield good agreement with the Shockley-Read-Hall theory, whereas the coefficient for Auger recombination shows an apparent shift to a higher value, with respect to the traditionally accepted value, at carrier densities below ˜2-5×1017 cm-3. Data also indicate an increased value of the coefficient for bimolecular recombination (radiative or trap-assisted Auger) from the generally accepted value. Measurements on an electron irradiated wafer and wafers of exceptionally high carrier lifetimes are also discussed within the framework of different recombination mechanisms.

The pH-driven accumulation of [(3)H]indolyl-3-acetic acid (IAA) has been found to occur in membrane vesicles of lupin (Lupinus albus L.) hypocotyls. Most of this association of auxin with membranes is very sensitive to osmotic shock, high concentrations of permeable weak acids, incubation at 20° C for 20 min and to some ionophores. Long incubation times also depress the ability to accumulate radioactive IAA but this ability can be partially restored by a treatment that presumably reconstitutes the pH gradient across the membranes. Two specific inhibitors of auxin transport, N-1-naphtylphthalamic acid and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid, stimulate net IAA uptake with an optimum at about 10(-6) M (pH 5.0). At least two auxin carriers appear to be present in the lupin membrane vesicles. An uptake carrier seems to be saturated at 10(-7) M IAA in the presence of N-1-naphtylphthalamic acid, but higher IAA concentrations are needed to saturate an efflux carrier. The uptake carrier also shows a high affinity for IAA and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and a low affinity for 1-naphthylacetic acid. PMID:24241734

A process is described for precipitating plutonium on a uranous iodate carrier from an aqueous acid solution conA plutonium solution more concentrated than the original solution can then be obtained by oxidizing the uranium to the hexavalent state and dissolving the precipitate, after separating the latter from the original solution, by means of warm nitric acid.

We demonstrate a class of suppressed carrier synchronization loops that are motivated by MAP estimation theory and in the presence of ISI outperform the conventional I-Q loop which is designed on the basis of zero ISI (wideband assumption). The measure of comparison used is the so-called.

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Carrier agreements. 217.6 Section 217.6 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM § 217... shall be made by the Commissioner on behalf of the Attorney General and shall be on Form I-775,...

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Carrier agreements. 217.6 Section 217.6 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM § 217... shall be made by the Commissioner on behalf of the Attorney General and shall be on Form I-775,...

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Carrier agreements. 217.6 Section 217.6 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM § 217... shall be made by the Commissioner on behalf of the Attorney General and shall be on Form I-775,...

While small plasmonic nanoparticles efficiently generate energetic hot carriers, light absorption in a monolayer of such particles is inefficient, and practical utilization of the hot carriers in addition requires efficient charge-separation. Here we describe our approach to address both challenges. By designing an optical cavity structure for the plasmonic photoelectrode, light absorption in these particles can be significantly enhanced, resulting in efficient hot electron generation. Rather than utilizing a Schottky barrier to preserve the energy of the carriers, our structure allows for their direct injection into the adjacent electrolyte. On the substrate side, the plasmonic particles are in contact with a wide band gap oxide film that serves as an electron blocking layer but accepts holes and transfers them to the counter electrode. The observed photocurrent spectra follow the plasmon spectrum, and demonstrate that the extracted electrons are energetic enough to drive the hydrogen evolution reaction. A similar structure can be designed to achieve broadband absorption enhancement in monolayer MoS2. Time permitting, I will discuss charge carrier dynamics in hybrid nanoparticles composed of plasmonic / two-dimensional materials, and applications of photo-induced force microscopy to study photocatalytic processes.

Mutations in the progranulin gene (GRN) are a common cause of familial frontotemporal dementia. We used a comprehensive neuropsychological battery to investigate whether early cognitive changes could be detected in GRN mutation carriers before dementia onset. Twenty-four at-risk members from six families with known GRN mutations underwent detailed neuropsychological testing. Group differences were investigated by domains of attention, language, visuospatial function, verbal memory, non-verbal memory, working memory and executive function. There was a trend for mutation carriers (n=8) to perform more poorly than non-carriers (n=16) across neuropsychological domains, with significant between group differences for visuospatial function (pcarriers suggests early asymmetric, right hemisphere brain dysfunction that is consistent with recent functional imaging data from our research group and the broader literature. PMID:24993774

An electrical mobility-controlled material includes a solid state host material having a controllable Fermi energy level and electrical charge carriers with a charge carrier mobility. At least one Fermi level energy at which a peak in charge carrier mobility is to occur is prespecified for the host material. A plurality of particles are distributed in the host material, with at least one particle disposed with an effective mass and a radius that minimize scattering of the electrical charge carriers for the at least one prespecified Fermi level energy of peak charge carrier mobility. The minimized scattering of electrical charge carriers produces the peak charge carrier mobility only at the at least one prespecified Fermi level energy, set by the particle effective mass and radius, the charge carrier mobility being less than the peak charge carrier mobility at Fermi level energies other than the at least one prespecified Fermi level energy.

Synthetic biopolymers are commonly used for the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues. Specifically targeting bone, the composite approach of utilizing inorganic components is considered promising in terms of improving mechanical and biological properties. We developed gelatin-apatite co-precipitates which mimic the native bone matrix composition within poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL). Ionic reaction of calcium and phosphate with gelatin molecules enabled the co-precipitate formation of gelatin-apatite nanocrystals at varying ratios. The gelatin-apatite precipitates formed were carbonated apatite in nature, and were homogeneously distributed within the gelatin matrix. The incorporation of gelatin-apatite significantly improved the mechanical properties, including tensile strength, elastic modulus and elongation at break, and the improvement was more pronounced as the apatite content increased. Of note, the tensile strength increased to as high as 45 MPa (a four-fold increase vs. PLCL), the elastic modulus was increased up to 1500 MPa (a five-fold increase vs. PLCL), and the elongation rate was ~240% (twice vs. PLCL). These results support the strengthening role of the gelatin-apatite precipitates within PLCL. The gelatin-apatite addition considerably enhanced the water affinity and the acellular mineral-forming ability in vitro in simulated body fluid; moreover, it stimulated cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Taken together, the GAp-PLCL nanocomposite composition is considered to have excellent mechanical and biological properties, which hold great potential for use as bone regenerative matrices. PMID:23985536

Ceria-based solid solutions are promising electrolytes for intermediate-temperature, solid oxide fuel cells. The effect of a dry, high-energy, ball-milling process on the sintering and densification behaviour of coprecipitated ceria-based powders is investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface-area measurements, density measurements, and electron microscopy. The dry ball-milling process leads to (i) a larger specific surface-area with weak agglomeration; (ii) rearrangement of grains into dense granules; (iii) a higher green density. These effects significantly reduce sintering temperatures and promote densification of ceria-based ceramics. Moreover, a comparison is made of the sintering behaviour and ionic conductivity of the milled samples with and without cobalt oxide doping. Cobalt oxide is a very effective sintering aid, but usually results in an enlarged grain-boundary effect for Si-containing samples. Thus, since SiO 2 is a ubiquitous background impurity in both raw materials and ceramic processing, the dry ball-milling process is a more feasible method for improving the sinterability of coprecipitated ceria-based powders.

A simple coprecipitation technique was successfully applied for the preparation of pure, nanosized, single phase Ba(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3} microwave dielectric ceramic powders. Barium, zinc and niobium ions were precipitated as hydroxide under basic conditions using aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and single phase Ba(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3} ceramic was produced at 800 Degree-Sign C. TEM revealed an average particle size of around 100 nm for the calcined powders. The samples sintered at 1250 Degree-Sign C for 4 h had a relatively high density and fine grain sizes. While the dielectric constant of ceramics varied between 37.5 and 39.8 the dielectric losses were lower than 4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} at frequency range of 1 kHz-2 MHz between 20 and 200 Degree-Sign C. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Production of BZN by coprecipitation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanoscale BZN powder. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dielectric properties of BZN.

A new heterometal-pseudo-alkoxide, [(bpy)Cl2Pb(μ-OtBu)2ZrCl2(THF)2], compound was developed, and applied as single source molecular precursor (SSP) for the synthesis of ZrO2/Pb3O4 nanocomposite employing co-precipitation enhanced sol-gel method. The SSP has been obtained in the form of monomer in which the metallic centers are bridged through the oxygen atom of the tert-butoxy group. The bipyridyl (bpy) and tetrahydroduran (THF), respectively, coordinated to the lead (Pb) and zirconium (Zr) centers contain the degree of polymerization of the bimetallic molecule. The chlorides present as terminal groups are balancing the overall charge of the molecule. The thermal decomposition pattern of the SSP was established by TGA analysis (equation (1)). The molecular SSP was hydrolyzed by adding an equimolar amount of water and the powder was precipitated at pH = 10 adding NH4OH solution as co-precipitating agent. The analytical techniques, i.e. XRD, SEM, EDX and IR spectroscopy, were used to find the composition, phase, and morphology of the resulting powder. The post sintering (400 °C) sample was confirmed as ZrO2/Pb3O4 nanocomposite. However, the pre-sintering material was amorphous. The pre- and post-sintering samples have rod-shaped nanoparticles. The latter have thinner nanorods than the former.

Antibiotic incorporation into hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings by co-precipitation and the impact of bone relevant doping elements on the adsorption kinetics are investigated from both theoretical and experimental points of view. Tobramycin interactions with bioactive TiO2 and HA surfaces are analyzed using density functional theory. According to the calculations, the drug molecule has larger adsorption energy than the Ca+ ion on both surfaces under study in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS). The results support the experimental observations that HA nucleation and growth are strongly limited on TiO2 surfaces in the presence of clinically relevant antibiotic concentrations in PBS. The drug molecule is more likely to adopt parallel arrangement onto the HA surface, as the adsorption energy of such arrangement is higher compared to a perpendicular one. Strontium substitution of the HA surface is found to results in a weaker drug-surface interaction, and leads also to a decrease in coating thickness. However, the presence of strontium gives rise to a coating morphology with enhanced drug incorporation capacity and slower antibiotic release compared to non-substituted, co-precipitated counterparts. Our theoretical calculation results were found to be in excellent agreement with experimental data and provide a powerful tool to understand the interaction mechanism between drug and different surface chemistries necessary for development of future versatile orthopedic and dental implant surfaces.

The Ba2Mg(PO4)2:Eu2+, Mn2+ phosphor is synthesized by a co-precipitation method. Crystal phase, morphology, excitation and emission spectra of sample phosphors are analyzed by XRD, SEM and FL, respectively. The results indicate particles synthesized by a co-precipitation method have a smaller size in diameter than that synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction method. Emission spectra of BMP:Eu2+, Mn2+ phosphor show a broad blue and a broad yellow emission bands with two peaks at about 456 nm and 575 nm under 380 nm excitation. An overlap between Eu2+ emission band and Mn2+ excitation band proves the existence of energy transfer from Eu2+ to Mn2+. Emitting color of the BMP:Eu2+, Mn2+ phosphor could be tuned by adjusting relative contents of Eu2+ and Mn2+ owing to energy transfer formula. Therefore, BMP:Eu2+, Mn2+ may be considered as a potential candidate for phosphor for near-UV white LED.

There is increasing demand for the production of large quantities of aqueous suspensions of magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles. Amino acids are one possible type of inexpensive, nontoxic, and biocompatible molecules that can be used as the surfactants for the preparation of stable suspensions. This preparation can be conducted in a simple, one-step process based on the co-precipitation of Fe3+/Fe2+ ions in the presence of the amino acid. However, the presence of this amino acid changes the mechanism of the magnetic nanoparticles' formation. In this investigation we analyzed the influence of aspartic amino acid (Asp) on the formation of magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles during the co-precipitation. The process of the nanoparticles' formation was followed using a combination of TEM, x-ray diffractometry, magnetic measurements, in-situ FT-IR spectroscopy, and chemical analysis, and compared with the formation of nanoparticles without the Asp. The Asp forms a coordination complex with the Fe3+ ions, which impedes the formation of the intermediate iron oxyhydroxide phase and suppresses the growth of the final magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles. Slower reaction kinetics can lead to the formation of nonmagnetic secondary phases. The aspartic-acid-absorbed nanoparticles can be dispersed to form relatively concentrated aqueous suspensions displaying a good colloidal stability at an increased pH.

A comparative study on two different methods for preparing Mg-Al layered double hydroxides (LDH) containing various divalent transition metals M ( M=Co, Ni, Cu) has been carried out. The first (conventional) method involved coprecipitation of divalent metals M(II) with Mg(II) and Al(III) cations using carbonate under basic conditions. The second approach was based on the ability of transition metals to form stable anionic chelates with edta 4- (edta 4-=ethylenediaminetetraacetate) that were synthesized and further introduced into LDH by coprecipitation with Mg and Al. The synthesized LDHs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) methods, thermogravimetry with mass-selective detection of decomposition products (TG-MSD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The results obtained were discussed in terms of efficiency of transition metal incorporation into the LDH structure, thermal stability of materials and the ability of metal chelates to intercalate the interlayer space of Mg-Al LDH. Vibrational spectroscopy studies confirmed that the integrity of the metal chelates was preserved upon incorporation into the LDH.

Macroporous chitosan spheres encapsulating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile and effective one-step fabrication process. Ferro-gels containing ferrous cations, ferric cations and chitosan were dropped into a sodium hydroxide solution through a syringe pump. In addition, a sodium hydroxide solution was employed for both gelation (chitosan) and co-precipitation (ferrous cations and ferric cations) of the ferro-gels. The results showed that the in-situ co-precipitation of ferro-ions gave rise to a radial morphology with non-spheroid macro pores (large cavities) inside the chitosan spheres. The particle size of iron oxide can be adjusted from 2.5 nm to 5.4 nm by tuning the concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution. Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectra, the synthesized nanoparticles were illustrated as Fe3O4 nanoparticles. In addition, the prepared macroporous chitosan spheres presented a super-paramagnetic behaviour at room temperature with a saturation magnetization value as high as ca. 18 emu/g. The cytotoxicity was estimated using cell viability by incubating doses (0∼1000 µg/mL) of the macroporous chitosan spheres. The result showed good viability (above 80%) with alginate chitosan particles below 1000 µg/mL, indicating that macroporous chitosan spheres were potentially useful for biomedical applications in the future. PMID:23226207

The mechanism of the radiative recombination of hot carriers in narrow-gap semiconductors is analyzed using the example of indium antimonide. It is shown that the CHCC Auger recombination process may lead to pronounced carrier heating at high excitation levels. The distribution functions and concentrations of hot carriers are determined. The radiative recombination rate of hot carriers and the radiation gain coefficient are calculated in terms of the Kane model. It is demonstrated that the radiative recombination of hot carriers will make a substantial contribution to the total radiative recombination rate at high carrier concentrations.

The heterozygote frequency of Gaucher disease (GD) and Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is distinctly high among Ashkenazi Jews (1:29 for TSD and 1:16 for GD). Two main theories have been suggested to explain this high occurrence: a founder effect with subsequent genetic drift, and a selective advantage of heterozygotes. We compared the frequency of the GD most common mutation (1226A-->G) among carriers of the common TSD mutation (+1277 TATC) with the frequency of this mutation in the general Ashkenazi population. The frequency of GD carriers among 308 TSD heterozygotes was 1:28 which is about half the expected (P = 0.03). These results indicate that carriers of both diseases do not possess additional evolutionary advantage over single mutation carriers. A reasonable interpretation of these findings is that one or both mutations have arisen relatively recently in different regions of Europe and have not yet reached genetic equilibrium. PMID:9781065

The concentration of platinum group elements (PGE) in the environment has increased significantly in the last 20 years mainly due to their use as catalysts in automotive catalytic converters. The quantitation of these metals in different environmental compartments is, however, challenging due to their very low concentrations and the presence of interfering matrix constituents when inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is used for analysis. Previously, the research focus was on the analysis of platinum (Pt) and rhodium (Rh). However, due to the increasing use of palladium (Pd) in automotive catalytic converters, quantitation of this element in airborne particulate matter (PM) is also needed. Compared to Pt and Rh, measurements of Pd using ICP-MS are plagued by greater molecular interferences arising from elements such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) strontium (Sr), yttrium (Y), and zirconium (Zr). The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of reductive co-precipitation procedures using both mercury (Hg) and tellurium (Te) for the pre-concentration of Pd from airborne PM. Furthermore, helium (He) was tested as a collision gas for isotope dilution-inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole-mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-Q-MS) to measure Pd in the Hg and Te precipitates. Airborne PM samples (PM10) were collected from Neuglobsow (Brandenburg, north-eastern Germany) and Deuselbach (Rhineland-Palatinate, south-western Germany), considered to represent background levels, and from the city Frankfurt am Main (Hesse, Germany), a high-traffic area. Samples were first digested with aqua regia in a high-pressure asher (HPA) at 320 degrees C and 130 bar prior to the application of reductive co-precipitation procedures. The method was validated with road dust reference material BCR-723 and the CANMET-CCRMP reference material TDB-1 and WPR-1. In airborne PM collected at the background areas Neuglobsow and Deuselbach, Pd was detected with median concentrations values of

The dissimilatory reduction of Fe oxides is the main organic C-consuming process in paddy soils under anoxic conditions. The contribution of Fe(III) reduction to anaerobic C mineralization depends on many factors, but most importantly on the bioavailability of labile organic matter and a reducible Fe pool as electron donors and acceptors, respectively. On the other hand, the strong affinity of these minerals for organic matter and their capability of protecting it against microbial decomposition is well known. Natural Fe oxides in these soils may therefore play a key role in determining the C source/sink functions of these agro-ecosystems. Apart from contributing to C stabilization, the interaction between Fe oxides and dissolved organic C (DOC) may influence the structure and reactivity of these natural oxides, and selectively influence the chemical properties of DOC. Indeed, Fe-DOC associations may not only reduce the availability of DOC, but may also limit the microbial reduction of Fe oxides under anoxic conditions. In fact, the accessibility of these minerals to microorganisms, extracellular enzymes, redox active shuttling compound or reducing agents may be impeded by the presence of sorbed organic matter. In soils that are regularly subjected to fluctuations in redox conditions the interaction between DOC and Fe oxides may not only involve organic coatings on mineral surfaces, but also Fe-DOC coprecipitates that form during the rapid oxidation of soil solutions containing important amounts of DOC and Fe(II). However, little is known on how these processes influence DOC retention, and the structure and subsequent reducibility of these Fe-DOC associations. We hypothesized that the nature and extent of the interaction between DOC and Fe oxides may influence the accessibility of the bioavailable Fe pool and consequently its reducibility. We tested this hypothesis by synthesizing a series of Fe-DOC systems with increasing C:Fe ratios prepared by either surface

In the past decade, III-nitride semiconductors had a considerable impact in solid state lighting and high speed high power electronics. As technology develops, high Al content III-nitride semiconductors lead the edge of research. It opens the door to many applications especially portable ones: from homeland security, bio-analytical, medical diagnostic, air and water disinfection, sterilization, chemical sensing systems, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communications, to high-density optical data storage. In this thesis, we first study GaN epilayers, as well as more complicate high Al content AlGaN/AlGaN MQW structures used as active media for deep UV LEDs. We theoretically study the photoluminescence (PL) dynamics in high quality GaN epilayers by establishing a new decay model. In our model, surface recombination, diffusion, and re-absorption are taken into account. Our model is in excellent agreement with experimental data obtained by time-resolved PL. Our results show that the carrier diffusion and surface recombination play key roles in the PL decay. For high Al content AlGaN/AlGaN MQW structures, we first present the investigation of built-in electric fields in AlxGa1-xN/Al yGa1-yN MQWs embedded into p-i-n structure by using photoluminescence experiments. By comparison of the Stark shifts induced by the p-i-n structure and by photo-excited free carrier screening, we evaluate the intrinsic electric field induced by piezoelectric and spontaneous polarizations. Furthermore we investigate carrier dynamics in sets of identically grown Al0.35Ga0.65N/Al 0.49Ga0.51N MQW structures with well widths varying from 1.65 to 5.0 nm by TR-PL and LITG techniques. We observed screening of the built-in electric field by free non-equilibrium carriers and localization governed PL kinetics at different decay stages. A decrease of carrier lifetime with increasing well width is observed and attributed to the carrier localization occurring due to well width fluctuations of the quantum well

This paper examines the approach taken to building a low-cost, modular spacecraft bus that can be used to support a variety of technology experiments in different space environments. It describes the techniques used and design drivers considered to ensure experiment independence from as yet selected host spacecraft. It describes the technology experiment carriers that will support NASA's Living With a Star Space Environment Testbed space missions. NASA has initiated the Living With a Star (LWS) Program to develop a better scientific understanding to address the aspects of the connected Sun-Earth system that affect life and society. A principal goal of the program is to bridge the gap between science, engineering, and user application communities. The Space Environment Testbed (SET) Project is one element of LWS. The Project will enable future science, operational, and commercial objectives in space and atmospheric environments by improving engineering approaches to the accommodation and/or mitigation of the effects of solar variability on technological systems. The SET Project is highly budget constrained and must seek to take advantage of as yet undetermined partnering opportunities for access to space. SET will conduct technology validation experiments hosted on available flight opportunities. The SET Testbeds will be developed in a manner that minimizes the requirements for accommodation, and will be flown as flight opportunities become available. To access the widest range of flight opportunities, two key development requirements are to maintain flexibility with respect to accommodation constraints and to have the capability to respond quickly to flight opportunities. Experiments, already developed to the technology readiness level of needing flight validation in the variable Sun-Earth environment, will be selected on the basis of the need for the subject technology, readiness for flight, need for flight resources and particular orbit. Experiments will be

This paper proposes a new carrier-interleaved orthogonal multi-electrode multi-carrier resistivity-measurement tool used in a cylindrical borehole environment during oil-based mud drilling processes. The new tool is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access-based contactless multi-measurand detection tool. The tool can measure formation resistivity in different azimuthal angles and elevational depths. It can measure many more measurands simultaneously in a specified bandwidth than the legacy frequency division multiplexing multi-measurand tool without a channel-select filter while avoiding inter-carrier interference. The paper also shows that formation resistivity is not sensitive to frequency in certain frequency bands. The average resistivity collected from N subcarriers can increase the measurement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by N times given no amplitude clipping in the current-injection electrode. If the clipping limit is taken into account, with the phase rotation of each single carrier, the amplitude peak-to-average ratio can be reduced by 3 times, and the SNR can achieve a 9/N times gain over the single-carrier system. The carrier-interleaving technique is also introduced to counter the carrier frequency offset (CFO) effect, where the CFO will cause inter-pad interference. A qualitative analysis and simulations demonstrate that block-interleaving performs better than tone-interleaving when coping with a large CFO. The theoretical analysis also suggests that increasing the subcarrier number can increase the measurement speed or enhance elevational resolution without sacrificing receiver performance. The complex orthogonal multi-pad multi-carrier resistivity logging tool, in which all subcarriers are complex signals, can provide a larger available subcarrier pool than other types of transceivers.

In the frame of the European Medea+ 2T302 MUSCLE project, an extensive mask carriers benchmark was carried out in order to evaluate whether some containers answer to the 65nm technology needs. Ten different containers, currently used or expected in the future all along the mask supply chain (blank, maskhouse and fab carriers) were selected at different steps of their life cycle (new, aged, aged & cleaned). The most critical parameters identified for analysis versus future technologies were: automation, particle contamination, chemical contamination (organic outgassing, ionic contamination), cleanability, ESD, airtightness and purgeability. Furthermore, experimental protocols corresponding to suitable methods were then developed and implemented to test each criterion. The benchmark results are presented giving a "state of the art" of mask carriers currently available and allowing a gap analysis for the tested parameters related to future needs. This approach is detailed through the particular case of carrier contamination measurements. Finally, this benchmark / gap analysis leads to propose advisable mask carrier specifications (and the test protocols associated) on various key parameters which can also be taken as guidelines for a standardization perspective for the 65nm technology. This also indicates that none of tested carriers fulfills all the specifications proposed.

... page: https://medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_160484.html 2 Kids an Hour Hurt in Strollers, Infant Carriers ... Although strollers and child carriers may look safe, two children are injured in these kid-movers every ...

... (CONTINUED) UNIVERSAL SERVICE Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers § 54.405 Carrier obligation... within the 60-day time period. A carrier providing Lifeline service in a state that has...

... (CONTINUED) UNIVERSAL SERVICE Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers § 54.405 Carrier obligation... demonstrate continued eligibility within the 60-day time period. A carrier providing Lifeline service in...

Safe and effective artificial oxygen carriers are the subject of great interest due to the problems of traditional blood transfusion and enormous demand in clinical use. In view of its unique oxygen-transport ability and normal metabolic pathways, hemoglobin is regarded as an ideal oxygen-carrying unit. With advances in nano-biotechnology, hemoglobin assemblies as artificial oxygen carriers achieve great development. Here, recent progress on hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers is highlighted in view of two aspects: acellular hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers and cellular hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers. These novel oxygen carriers exhibit advantages over traditional carriers and will greatly promote research on reliable and feasible oxygen carriers. PMID:26479864

This qualitative study examined experiences of adults requesting genetic-carrier testing for four autosomal-recessive and X-linked-recessive disorders. The sample consisted of 34 adults with a positive family history or membership in an ethnic group at risk for the inherited disorder. A semistructured interview guide was used to collect data during an interview 1 month after receipt of test results. Noncarriers experienced benefits of emotional relief and freedom to move ahead with reproductive planning. Carriers experienced burdens of sadness and loss of reproductive expectations. Some subjects in both groups experienced difficulty disclosing results to selected family members and expressed concerns regarding disclosure of testing to insurance providers. PMID:9030039

We investigated negative photoconductivity in graphene using ultrafast terahertz techniques. Infrared transmission was used to determine the Fermi energy, carrier density, and mobility of p-type chemical vapor deposition graphene samples. Time-resolved terahertz photoconductivity measurements using a tunable mid-infrared pump probed these samples at photon energies between 0.35 eV and 1.55 eV, approximately one-half to three times the Fermi energy of the samples. Although interband optical transitions in graphene are blocked for pump photon energies less than twice the Fermi energy, we observe negative photoconductivity at all pump photon energies investigated, indicating that interband excitation is not required to observe this effect. Our results are consistent with a thermalized free-carrier population that cools by electron-phonon scattering, but are inconsistent with models of negative photoconductivity based on population inversion.

Beyond the classic modes of carrier modulation by varying amplitude (AM), phase (PM), or frequency (FM), we extend the modulation domain of an analog carrier signal to include a class of general modulations which are distinguished by their probability density function histogram. Separate waveform states are easily created by varying the pdf of the transmitted waveform. Individual waveform states are assignable as proxies for digital ONEs or ZEROs. At the receiver, these states are easily detected by accumulating sampled waveform statistics and performing periodic pattern matching, correlation, or statistical filtering. No fundamental natural laws are broken in the detection process. We show how a typical modulation scheme would work in the digital domain and suggest how to build an analog version. We propose that clever variations of the modulating waveform (and thus the histogram) can provide simple steganographic encoding.

Beyond the classic modes of carrier modulation by varying amplitude (AM), phase (PM), or frequency (FM), we extend the modulation domain of an analog carrier signal to include a class of general modulations which are distinguished by their probability density function histogram. Separate waveform states are easily created by varying the pdf of the transmitted waveform. Individual waveform states are assignable as proxies for digital one's or zero's. At the receiver, these states are easily detected by accumulating sampled waveform statistics and performing periodic pattern matching, correlation, or statistical filtering. No fundamental physical laws are broken in the detection process. We show how a typical modulation scheme would work in the digital domain and suggest how to build an analog version. We propose that clever variations of the modulating waveform (and thus the histogram) can provide simple steganographic encoding.

Digital communication networks used for the distribution of high-speed digital information are currently the subject of design studies for many civil and military applications. This paper presents results that are useful in such studies as well as in network planning. In particular, the paper is concerned with the problems of carrier synchronization and noisy reference detection of polyphase signals. Reconstruction of coherent references for the detection of polyphase signals is considered and analyzed for three carrier reconstruction loops, namely, Nth power (multiply-and-divide) loops, generalized Costas (I-Q) loops, and extensions of data-aided (modulation wipeoff) loops. General expressions for the error probability are developed when the reconstructed reference signals are noisy.

SCIDS is the Data Dispatching and Transfer Point (DDTP) component of a straddle carrier-based radiation detection system developed for the DOE Megaports Initiative for scanning shipping containers in transshipment ports. Its purpose is to communicate with a Radiation Detection Straddle Carrier (RDSC) developed by Detector Networks International, sending commands to the RDSC and receiving sensor data from the RDSC. Incoming sensor and status data from the RDSC is forwarded to a back-end data storage andmore » display system that is external to SCIDS. SCIDS provides a graphical user interface for port operations personnel that displays location and status of the RDSC and status of each container in the port, and accepts commands from the operator directing the scanning operations of the RDSC.« less

Hydrogen plasma treatment of diamond renders the surface p-type, with the carriers emerging with little thermal activation, in sharp contrast to the use of boron for the formation of p-type material. To date, it has been thought that only the highest quality 'white' polycrystalline material is useful for electronic device applications, with many regarding single-crystal diamond as ultimately the substrate material of choice. In this paper it is shown that when p-type material is produced through hydrogenation, this is not the case. 'Black' polycrystalline diamond, which can be grown much more rapidly than white, shows carrier concentrations and mobility values similar to both white polycrystalline diamond and single-crystal material. This result has important implications for the provision of low-cost black-diamond substrates for device applications.

The world's first LNG carrier that incorporates the Technigaz Mark 3 membrane tank system was delivered in October to its owner, Asia LNG Transport Sdn. Bhd., a joint venture between Nippon Yusen K.K. and Perbadanan Nasional Shipping Line Berhad of Malaysia. NKK built the 18,800 cu m, fully double-hull carrier Aman Bintulu at its Tsu works. Construction was completed in September with more than 2 months of sea trials and gas tests using [minus]190 C. Liquid nitrogen and final gas trails with LNG. The orthogonally corrugated stainless membrane primary barrier and the triplex (aluminum foil/fiber glass cloth) composite-material secondary barrier prevent LNG from leaking in the event of an accident.

Ballistic-electron-emission microscopy (BEEM) constitutes basis of new spectroscopy of scattering of electrons and holes. Pointed tip electrode scans near surface of metal about 100 angstrom thick on semiconductor. Principle similar to scanning tunneling microscope, except metal acts as third electrode. Used to investigate transport phenomena, scattering phenomena, and creation of hot charge carriers in Au/Si and Au/GaAs metal/semiconductor microstructures.

A method is described for converting a plutonium containing bismuth phosphate carrier precipitate Into a compositton more readily soluble in acid. The method consists of dissolving the bismuth phosphate precipitate in an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide, and adding one of a certaia group of organic compounds, e.g., polyhydric alcohols or a-hydrorycarboxylic acids. The mixture is then heated causiing formation of a bismuth hydroxide precipitate containing plutonium which may be readily dissolved in nitric acid for further processing.

Many challenges arise during the development of new drug carrier systems, and paramount among them are safety, solubility and controlled release requirements. Although synthetic polymers are effective, the possibility of side effects imposes restrictions on their acceptable use and dose limits. Thus, a new drug carrier system that is safe to handle and free from side effects is very much in need and food grade polysaccharides stand tall as worthy alternatives. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of sodium iota-carrageenan fibers and their distinctive water pockets to embed and release a wide variety of drug molecules. Structural analysis has revealed the existence of crystalline network in the fibers even after encapsulating the drug molecules, and iota-carrageenan maintains its characteristic and reproducible double helical structure suggesting that the composites thus produced are reminiscent of cocrystals. The melting properties of iota-carrageenan:drug complexes are distinctly different from those of either drug or iota-carrageenan fiber. The encapsulated drugs are released in a sustained manner from the fiber matrix. Overall, our research provides an elegant opportunity for developing effective drug carriers with stable network toward enhancing and/or controlling bioavailability and extending shelf-life of drug molecules using GRAS excipients, food polysaccharides, that are inexpensive and non–toxic. PMID:23544530

The separation and purification of plutonium from the radioactive elements of lower atomic weight is described. The process of this invention comprises forming a 0.5 to 2 M aqueous acidffc solution containing plutonium fons in the tetravalent state and elements with which it is normally contaminated in neutron irradiated uranium, treating the solution with a double thorium compound and a soluble pyrophosphate compound (Na/sub 4/P/sub 2/O/sub 7/) whereby a carrier precipitate of thorium A method is presented of reducing neptunium and - trite is advantageous since it destroys any hydrazine f so that they can be removed from solutions in which they are contained is described. In the carrier precipitation process for the separation of plutonium from uranium and fission products including zirconium and columbium, the precipitated blsmuth phosphate carries some zirconium, columbium, and uranium impurities. According to the invention such impurities can be complexed and removed by dissolving the contaminated carrier precipitate in 10M nitric acid, followed by addition of fluosilicic acid to about 1M, diluting the solution to about 1M in nitric acid, and then adding phosphoric acid to re-precipitate bismuth phosphate carrying plutonium.

We report analysis of the photo-induced minority carrier effective lifetime (τeff) in a p+n junction formed on the top surfaces of a n-type silicon substrate by ion implantation of boron and phosphorus atoms at the top and bottom surfaces followed by activation by microwave heating. Bias voltages were applied to the p+ boron-doped surface with n+ phosphorus-doped surface kept at 0 V. The values of τeff were lower than 1 × 10-5 s under the reverse-bias condition. On the other hand, τeff markedly increased to 1.4 × 10-4 s as the forward-bias voltage increased to 0.7 V and then it leveled off when continuous-wave 635 nm light was illuminated at 0.74 mW/cm2 on the p+ surface. The carrier annihilation velocity S\\text{p + } at the p+ surface region was numerically estimated from the experimental τeff. S\\text{p + } ranged from 4000 to 7200 cm/s under the reverse-bias condition when the carrier annihilation velocity S\\text{n + } at the n+ surface region was assumed to be a constant value of 100 cm/s. S\\text{p + } markedly decreased to 265 cm/s as the forward-bias voltage increased to 0.7 V.

Hot charge carrier extraction from metallic nanostructures is a very promising approach for applications in photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and photodetection. One limitation is that many metallic nanostructures support a single plasmon resonance thus restricting the light-to-charge-carrier activity to a spectral band. Here we demonstrate that a monolayer of plasmonic nanoparticles can be assembled on a multistack layered configuration to achieve broadband, near-unit light absorption, which is spatially localized on the nanoparticle layer. We show that this enhanced light absorbance leads to ∼40-fold increases in the photon-to-electron conversion efficiency by the plasmonic nanostructures. We developed a model that successfully captures the essential physics of the plasmonic hot electron charge generation and separation in these structures. This model also allowed us to establish that efficient hot carrier extraction is limited to spectral regions where (i) the photons have energies higher than the Schottky junctions and (ii) the absorption of light is localized on the metal nanoparticles. PMID:26982625

... carrier or insurer and to collect the amount recoverable from the carrier or insurer may result in reducing the amount recoverable from the Government by the maximum amount which would have been recoverable... the loss from the carrier or insurer before his or her claim under this subpart is settled, the...

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Persons, carriers, and things. 71.32 Section 71.32... thing on board the carrier is or may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease, he/she may... carrier or article or thing as he/she considers necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission,...

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Persons, carriers, and things. 71.32 Section 71.32... thing on board the carrier is or may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease, he/she may... carrier or article or thing as he/she considers necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission,...

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Mixtures of articles with carriers. 58.113 Section... GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE FOR NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES Test and Control Articles § 58.113 Mixtures of articles with carriers. (a) For each test or control article that is mixed with a carrier,...

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Mixtures of articles with carriers. 58.113 Section... GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE FOR NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES Test and Control Articles § 58.113 Mixtures of articles with carriers. (a) For each test or control article that is mixed with a carrier,...

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Mixtures of articles with carriers. 58.113 Section... GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE FOR NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES Test and Control Articles § 58.113 Mixtures of articles with carriers. (a) For each test or control article that is mixed with a carrier,...

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mixtures of articles with carriers. 58.113 Section... GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE FOR NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES Test and Control Articles § 58.113 Mixtures of articles with carriers. (a) For each test or control article that is mixed with a carrier,...

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mixtures of articles with carriers. 58.113 Section... GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE FOR NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES Test and Control Articles § 58.113 Mixtures of articles with carriers. (a) For each test or control article that is mixed with a carrier,...

Trace metals that are commonly associated with mineralization were concentrated and separated from natural water by coprecipitation with ammonium pyrollidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and cobalt and determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The method is useful in hydrogeochemical surveys because it permits preconcentration near the sample sites, and selected metals are preserved shortly after the samples are collected. The procedure is relatively simple: (1) a liter of water is filtered; (2) the pH is adjusted; (3) Co chloride and APDC are added to coprecipitate the trace metals; and (4) later, the precipitate is filtered, dissolved, and diluted to 10 ml for a 100-fold concentration enrichment of the separated metals. Sb(III), As(III), Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mo, Ni, Ag, V, and Zn can then be determined simultaneously by ICP-AES. In an experiment designed to measure the coprecipitation efficiency, Sb(III), Cd and Ag were recovered at 70 to 75% of their original concentration. The remaining metals were recovered at 85 to 100% of their original concentrations, however. The range for the lower limits of determination for the metals after preconcentration is 0.1 to 3.0 ??g/l. The precision of the method was evaluated by replicate analyses of a Colorado creek water and two simulated water samples. The accuracy of the method was estimated using a water reference standard (SRM 1643a) certified by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards. In addition, the method was evaluated by analyzing groundwater samples collected near a porphyry copper deposit in Arizona and by analyzing meltwater from glacier-covered areas favorable for mineralization in south-central Alaska. The results for the ICP-AES analyses compared favorably with those obtained using the sequential technique of GFAAS on the acidified but unconcentrated water samples. ICP-AES analysis of trace-metal preconcentrates for hydrogeochemical surveys is more efficient than GFAAS because a

X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) is used to characterize the mineralogy of the iron(III)-arsenate(V) precipitates produced during the raffinate (aqueous effluent) neutralization process at the McClean Lake uranium mill in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. To facilitate the structural characterization of the precipitated solids derived from the neutralized raffinate, a set of reference compounds were synthesized and analyzed. The reference compounds include crystalline scorodite, poorly-crystalline scorodite, iron(III)-arsenate co-precipitates obtained under different pH conditions, and arsenate-adsorbed on goethite. The poorly-crystalline scorodite (prepared at pH 4 with Fe/As = 1) has similar As local structure as that of crystalline scorodite. Both As and Fe K-edge XAFS of poorly-crystalline scorodite yield consistent results on As-Fe (or Fe-As) shell. From As K-edge analysis the As-Fe shell has an inter-atomic distance of 3.33 ± 0.02 Å and coordination number of 3.2; while from Fe K-edge analysis the Fe-As distance and coordination number are 3.31 ± 0.02 Å and 3.8, respectively. These are in contrast with the typical arsenate adsorption on bidentate binuclear sites on goethite surfaces, where the As-Fe distance is 3.26 ± 0.03 Å and coordination number is close to 2. A similar local structure identified in the poorly-crystalline scorodite is also found in co-precipitation solids (Fe(III)/As(V) = 3) when precipitated at the same pH (pH = 4): As-Fe distance 3.30 ± 0.03 Å and coordination number 3.9; while at pH = 8 the co-precipitate has As-Fe distance of 3.27 ± 0.03 Å and coordination number about 2, resembling more closely the adsorption case. The As local structure in the two neutralized raffinate solid series (precipitated at pH values up to 7) closely resembles that in the poorly-crystalline scorodite. All of the raffinate solids have the same As-Fe inter-atomic distance as that in the poorly-crystalline scorodite, and a systematic decrease in the

Photochemical redox systems have been proposed for solar energy utilization. The systems including a photosensitizer, an electron donor, and an electron carrier, have been able to evolve hydrogen from water when a suitable catalyst can be applied. The electron carrier employed almost exclusively in these studies is methylviologen except for a few cases. It is desirable to explore other suitable electron carriers. In this paper some bipyridinium salts are described which are more suitable electron carriers than methylviologen. To clarify why hydrogen evolution rates are so high when some bipyridinium salts are used as electron carriers, kinetic studies were carried out by laser flash photolysis. 13 references, 4 figures, 1 table.

Sulfated zirconia-lanthana (SO42-/ZrO2-La2O3) precursors were prepared by ultrasonic coprecipitation method and followed by aging at different temperature. The precursors were treated by 0.5 mol/L H2SO4. Samples of SO42-/ZrO2-La2O3 nano-crystalline catalysts were obtained by baking the treated precursors at different temperatures. The acidic properties of SO42-/ZrO2-La2O3 were tested by the Hammett indicator method. The phase composition, specific area, particle structure, and surface state were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectrum, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalytic activities were estimated by esterification of acetic acid with glycerin. It was shown that the catalyst prepared by ultrasonic stirring and low temperature (-15°C) exhibited highly active sites and high catalytic property.

Thoria (ThO2) based ceramic material is a versatile and very important matrix for immobilization of plutonium and other tetravalent actinides either as a burning or a deposition material for final disposal. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the actinide concentration (simulated with cerium), the fabrication conditions and the properties of the produced powders on the compactibility and sinterability of the final products. The (Th1-xCex)O2 powders with ceria concentration varying from 5 to 50 mol% were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The pellets were then compacted from calcined and ground powders at pressures varying from 250 to 750 MPa. The produced pellets had a homogenous grain size and sintered densities of 0.88% to 0.95% TD, respectively.

Co1-x NixFe2O4 (where x=0.1) were prepared by using the hydroxide co-precipitation method. An obtained precipitate was sintered at 1100°C by microwave sintering technique. The structural analysis confirms the single-phase cubic spinel structure with Fd-3m space group. The magnetic characterization was carried out at temperature 300K.Saturation magnetisation and coercivity is 77.22 and 908 Oe. Irreversibility is observed between the ZFC and FC curves at 100 Oe. The variation in the dielectric constant and loss tangent are studied at room temperature with increasing frequency. Continues decrease in the the dielectric constant with increasing frequency shows inverse dependence on frequency. Morphological and elemental studies were done by using the scanning electron microscope with EDAX.

Ni-Al2O3 catalysts are prepared via the co-precipitation method using various precipitants: urea, Na2CO3, NaOH, K2CO3, KOH and NH4OH. The effects of the precipitants on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activities of the Ni-Al2O3 catalysts are investigated. The Ni50-urea catalyst displays the largest specific surface area and the highest pore volume. This catalyst also exhibits the highest Ni dispersion and the largest Ni surface area. Ni50-urea catalyst prepared with urea as precipitant and Ni50-K2CO3 catalyst prepared with K2CO3 as precipitant exhibit high pore volumes and good catalytic activities for methane steam reforming. The Ni50-urea catalyst exhibits the best physicochemical properties and shows good catalytic activity and a strong resistance to electrolyte contamination. PMID:22962548

Indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method using ammonia as a precipitator in absence/presence of various surfactants (LABS and Triton X-100). The synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, resistance measurement, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) techniques. The XRD patterns of nanoparticles were also studied by Rietveld refinement method for calculation of crystallite size, micro-strain and lattice parameter. The results indicate that by application of LABS and Triton X-100 as surfactant the particle size was increased. Two luminescence bands were observed in PL spectra of ITO nanoparticles with the excitation energy lower than their band gaps. It was found that the ratios of luminescence bands have relation with resistances and colors of ITO nanoparticles. In addition, the band structure of ITO nanoparticles was described considering the obtained results.

Currently, two common techniques for nanomolar-level phosphate measurements in seawater are magnesium-induced co-precipitation (MAGIC) and long-path liquid-waveguide capillary cell (LWCC) spectrophotometry. These techniques have been applied in the open ocean, and our understanding of phosphate distributions in oligotrophic subtropical gyres is based on those data. However, intercomparison of these methods has not previously been performed at nanomolar levels. Here, we report experimental results directly comparing the MAGIC and LWCC techniques. We also evaluated the impact of various commonly employed filters on phosphate determinations, as well as interferences from dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) and arsenate. Our results find agreement between these methods at phosphate concentrations <100nM. We found that filter selection is important for accurate determinations of phosphate, and that DOP hydrolysis affects both techniques similarly. Finally, we demonstrate the advantage of combining MAGIC preconcentration and LWCC spectrophotometry for analysis of very low nanomolar concentrations. PMID:18298969

Phosphors YAG:Eu (with seven molar percent of Eu to YAG) was synthesized by the co-precipitation method using NH3 solution as a precipitating agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that the samples are single phase, and the crystallinity starts forming at a sintering temperature of 1000°C. The crystallinity increases with the increasing sintered temperature. XRD studies followed by Rietveld refinement confirmed the body center cubic structure of the host lattice. The crystalline YAG:Eu showed four emission bands of europium ion with the force dipole transition ascribed to 5D0-7F4 located at 710 nm as the most dominating group (far-red emission—FR). The ratio of FR/OR (far-red/orange—red) is about 1.24 in all samples.

Sonochemically assisted co-precipitation has been used to prepare nano-sized Ni-Cu-Zn-ferrite powders. A suspension of constituent hydroxides was ultrasonically irradiated for various times at different temperatures with high intensity ultrasound radiation using a direct immersion titanium horn. Structural and magnetic properties were investigated using X-diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Nitrogen adsorption at 77 K (BET) and Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Preliminary experimental results relative to optimal parameters showed that reaction time t=2 h, temperature θ=90 °C and dissipated Power Pdiss=46.27 W. At these conditions, this work shows the formation of nanocrystalline single-phase structure with particle size 10-25 nm. Also, ours magnetic measurements proved that the sonochemistry method has a great influence on enhancing the magnetic properties of the ferrite.

The composite of hollow glass microspheres coated by CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles has been successfully prepared using urea as precipitator via coprecipitation method. The resultant composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope and vibrating sample magnetometer. The results showed that the slow decomposition of urea could be beneficial to form uniform and entire cobalt ferrite coating layer on the surface of hollow glass microspheres. The smoothest morphology was obtained for the sample prepared from 0.7 M urea, while the sample prepared from 1.0 M urea had the thickest shell. This indicated that there was a competition between the morphology and thickness of the coated microspheres. A possible formation mechanism of hollow glass microspheres coated with cobalt ferrite was proposed. The magnetic properties of the samples were also investigated.

Time-resolved microscopic second harmonic generation (TRM-SHG) measurement was conducted to evaluate temperature dependence of the anisotropic carrier transport process in 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) (TIPS) pentacene single crystalline domains for two orthogonal directions. Enhancement of the electric field induced SHG (EFI-SHG) signal at the electrode edge at low temperature suggests the presence of potential drop in the injection process. We directly evaluated temperature dependence of the carrier mobility by taking into account the potential drop, and concluded that the Marcus theory is appropriate to interpret the carrier transport in anisotropic TIPS pentacene thin film. TRM-SHG method is a facile and effective way to directly visualize transport process in anisotropic materials and to evaluate injection and transport processes simultaneously. PMID:27451638

A new ``combinatorial transition-metal cation pseudocapacitor'' was demonstrated by designing combinatorial transition-metal cation pseudocapacitors with binary AxB1-x salt electrodes involving manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel cations in an alkaline aqueous electrolyte. Binary multi-valence cations were crystallized in the colloidal state through an in situ coprecipitation under an electric field. These electroactive colloids absorbed by carbon black and the PVDF matrix are highly redox-reactive with high specific capacitance values, where the specific electrode configuration can create short ion diffusion paths to enable fast and reversible Faradaic reactions. This work shows huge promise for developing high-performance electrical energy storage systems via designing the colloidal state of electroactive cations. Multiple redox cations in the colloidal state can show high redox activities, making them more suitable for potential application in pseudocapacitor systems.A new ``combinatorial transition-metal cation pseudocapacitor'' was demonstrated by designing combinatorial transition-metal cation pseudocapacitors with binary AxB1-x salt electrodes involving manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel cations in an alkaline aqueous electrolyte. Binary multi-valence cations were crystallized in the colloidal state through an in situ coprecipitation under an electric field. These electroactive colloids absorbed by carbon black and the PVDF matrix are highly redox-reactive with high specific capacitance values, where the specific electrode configuration can create short ion diffusion paths to enable fast and reversible Faradaic reactions. This work shows huge promise for developing high-performance electrical energy storage systems via designing the colloidal state of electroactive cations. Multiple redox cations in the colloidal state can show high redox activities, making them more suitable for potential application in pseudocapacitor systems. Electronic supplementary

The effect of microbial sulfidogenesis on As transformation and mobilization in solid phase with low Fe/As ratio is still not well known. In this study, microbial transformation and mobilization of As in the As-Fe coprecipitate with different sulfate levels were investigated using chemical extraction and K-edge XANES of As and S. Results showed that approximately 2.7, 24.4, and 83.7 % of total As were released into the aqueous phase in the low-, mid-, and high-sulfate treatments, respectively, indicating that the presence of large amounts of sulfate could enhance microbial arsenic mobilization in the As-Fe coprecipitate. In the low-sulfate treatment, As mobilization was primarily attributed to the reductive dissolution of the Fe (oxy)hydroxides and the As reduction and desorption. In the mid- and high-sulfate treatments, the reduction of arsenate and ferric iron was significantly enhanced. Complete ferric iron reduction was observed in the solid phase, implying that Fe (oxy)hydroxide was transformed to secondary minerals and may be the one of the primary causes for the enhanced As mobilization. Thermodynamic calculations predicted the formation of thioarsenite species after 35 days of incubation based on the concentration of dissolved As(III) and S(-II). Since thioarsenic species is more mobile, its formation may be one of the most important factors enhancing the As release in the high-sulfate system. The result of this study is of significance to completely predict the environmental behavior of As associated with Fe (hydr)oxides in the presence of microbial sulfidogenesis under anoxic conditions. PMID:26676545

Plasmon-induced hot carrier formation is attracting an increasing research interest due to its potential for applications in photocatalysis, photodetection and solar energy harvesting. However, despite very significant experimental effort, a comprehensive theoretical description of the hot carrier generation process is still missing. In this work we develop a theoretical model for the plasmon-induced hot carrier process and apply it to spherical silver nanoparticles and nanoshells. In this model, the conduction electrons of the metal are described as free particles in a finite spherical potential well, and the plasmon-induced hot carrier production is calculated using Fermi’s golden rule. We show that the inclusion of many-body interactions has only a minor influence on the results. Using the model we calculate the rate of hot carrier generation, finding that it closely follows the spectral profile of the plasmon. Our analysis reveals that particle size and hot carrier lifetime play a central role in determining both the production rate and the energy distribution of the hot carriers. Specifically, larger nanoparticle sizes and shorter lifetimes result in higher carrier production rates but smaller energies, and vice versa. We characterize the efficiency of the hot carrier generation process by introducing a figure of merit that measures the number of high energy carriers generated per plasmon. Furthermore, we analyze the spatial distribution and directionality of these excitations. The results presented here contribute to the basic understanding of plasmon-induced hot carrier generation and provide insight for optimization of the process. PMID:24960573

This photograph made from a chase plane captures the precise moment of separation of the Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 'Enterprise' from the NASA 905 aircraft, a 747 carrier aircraft. With Astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, controlling the Enterprise, the unpowered flight lasted two minutes and one second before coming to a landing on a hard surface runway, completing the Approach and Landing Test (ALT) series. The mission marked the first hard-surface landing in the ALT series, the second tail cone off flight and the fifth free-flight.

A channel separation algorithm for the frequency division multiple access/time division multiplexing (FDMA/TDM) scheme is presented. It is shown that implementation using this algorithm can be more effective than the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm when only a small number of carriers need to be selected from many, such as satellite Earth terminals. The algorithm is based on polyphase filtering followed by application of a generalized Walsh-Hadamard transform (GWHT). Comparison of the transform technique used in this algorithm with discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and FFT is given. Estimates of the computational rates and power requirements to implement this system are also given.

Cardiovascular disease is the disease that affects the cardiovascular system, vascular diseases of the brain and kidney, and peripheral arterial disease. Despite of all advances in pharmacological and clinical treatment, heart failure is a leading cause of morbidness and mortality worldwide. Many new therapeutic advance strategies, including cell transplantation, gene delivery or therapy, and cytokines or other small molecules, have been research to treat heart failure. The main aim of this review article is to focus on nano carriers advancement and addressing the problems associated with old and modern therapeutics such as nonspecific effects and poor stability. PMID:25046615

Three techniques that use carrier information from multiple antennas to enhance carrier acquisition and tracking are presented. These techniques in combination with baseband combining are analyzed and simulated for residual and suppressed-carrier modulation. It is shown that the carrier arraying using a single carrier loop technique can acquire and track the carrier even when any single antenna in the array cannot do so by itself. The carrier aiding and carrier arraying using multiple carrier loop techniques, on the other hand, are shown to lock on the carrier only when one of the array elements has sufficient margin to acquire the carrier on its own.

Two dimensional (2D) materials with a finite band gap and high carrier mobility are sought after materials from both fundamental and technological perspectives. In this paper, we present the results based on the particle swarm optimization method and density functional theory which predict three geometrically different phases of the carbon phosphide (CP) monolayer consisting of sp2 hybridized C atoms and sp3 hybridized P atoms in hexagonal networks. Two of the phases, referred to as α-CP and β-CP with puckered or buckled surfaces are semiconducting with highly anisotropic electronic and mechanical properties. More remarkably, they have the lightest electrons and holes among the known 2D semiconductors, yielding superior carrier mobility. The γ-CP has a distorted hexagonal network and exhibits a semi-metallic behavior with Dirac cones. These theoretical findings suggest that the binary CP monolayer is a yet unexplored 2D material holding great promise for applications in high-performance electronics and optoelectronics. PMID:27067002

Between 1998 and 2000, 103 individuals of 19 species of the order Artiodactyla at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park were tested for evidence of infection with gamma herpesviruses in order to distinguish between species which are susceptible to malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), caused by alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (AlHV-1) of wildebeest (Connochaetes sp.) or ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) of domestic sheep, and species which carry related viruses sub-clinically. Gamma herpesvirus DNA was detected in the known, or suspected, carrier species: roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), gemsbok (Oryx gazella), musk ox (Ovibos muschatus) and mouflon (Ovis musimon). In six other species: lowland anoa (Bubalus depressicornis) yak (Bos grunniens), sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) and Nile lechwe (Kobus megaceros), DNA was present in some newborn calves and over 30% of adults, strongly suggesting a carrier state. In contrast five Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) and two swamp deer (Cervus duvauceli) died of MCF during the study. A virus isolated from scimitar-horned oryx calves produced cytopathic effects in scimitar-horned oryx kidney cell-culture and caused MCF in a rabbit. PMID:12208112

Oral intake of specific probiotics has been reported to enhance the immunity of the elderly. Earlier studies have used milk or yoghurt as a probiotic carrier. We chose a commercial probiotic cheese to evaluate its potential as a probiotic food. Thirty-one healthy elderly volunteers (21 female, 10 male) aged from 72 to 103 (median 86) consumed a commercial probiotic cheese containing approximately 10(9) CFU day(-1) of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. The 4-week probiotic intervention was preceded by a 2-week consumption of probiotic-free cheese (run-in) and followed by a 4-week wash-out period with the same control cheese. The cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), the relative numbers of natural killer (NK) and NKT cells in the total PBMCs, and phagocytic activity were assessed. Consumption of the probiotic cheese significantly increased the cytotoxicity of NK cells. A significant increase in phagocytosis was observed for both the control and the probiotic cheese. Cheese was found to be an effective carrier for the study of probiotics, and daily consumption of the probiotic enhanced parameters of innate immunity in elderly volunteers. It remains to be determined whether this enhancement correlates with a beneficial effect on the health of the elderly population. PMID:20236323

Graphene—two-dimensional carbon—is a material with unique mechanical, optical, chemical, and electronic properties. Its use in a wide range of applications was therefore suggested. From an electronic point of view, nanostructured graphene is of great interest due to the potential opening of a band gap, applications in quantum devices, and investigations of physical phenomena. Narrow graphene stripes called "nanoribbons" show clearly different electronical transport properties than micron-sized graphene devices. The conductivity is generally reduced and around the charge neutrality point, the conductance is nearly completely suppressed. While various mechanisms can lead to this observed suppression of conductance, disordered edges resulting in localized charge carriers are likely the main cause in a large number of experiments. Localized charge carriers manifest themselves in transport experiments by the appearance of Coulomb blockade diamonds. This review focuses on the mechanisms responsible for this charge localization, on interpreting the transport details, and on discussing the consequences for physics and applications. Effects such as multiple coupled sites of localized charge, cotunneling processes, and excited states are discussed. Also, different geometries of quantum devices are compared. Finally, an outlook is provided, where open questions are addressed.

Graphene—two-dimensional carbon—is a material with unique mechanical, optical, chemical, and electronic properties. Its use in a wide range of applications was therefore suggested. From an electronic point of view, nanostructured graphene is of great interest due to the potential opening of a band gap, applications in quantum devices, and investigations of physical phenomena. Narrow graphene stripes called “nanoribbons” show clearly different electronical transport properties than micron-sized graphene devices. The conductivity is generally reduced and around the charge neutrality point, the conductance is nearly completely suppressed. While various mechanisms can lead to this observed suppression of conductance, disordered edges resulting in localized charge carriers are likely the main cause in a large number of experiments. Localized charge carriers manifest themselves in transport experiments by the appearance of Coulomb blockade diamonds. This review focuses on the mechanisms responsible for this charge localization, on interpreting the transport details, and on discussing the consequences for physics and applications. Effects such as multiple coupled sites of localized charge, cotunneling processes, and excited states are discussed. Also, different geometries of quantum devices are compared. Finally, an outlook is provided, where open questions are addressed.

The aim of this work is to study carriers which can become alternatives to monohydrate lactose in dry powder inhalers and to consider particle parameters that influence adhesion between drug and carrier in dry powder inhalers. Different forms of mannitol, lactose and maltitol were mixed with either terbutaline sulphate or formoterol fumarate. The blends were submitted to different adhesion tests where drug detachment from the carrier was obtained either through mechanical vibration or by aspiration. Parameters like particle shape, roughness, amorphous content and cristalline form may affect interactions between drug and carrier. In our case, crystallized forms of the carrier offered lower adhesion but better release of the active ingredient than spray-dried forms. The crystallized mannitol produced maximal fine particle dose. The blends of the mannitols and the two active ingredients gave different results. The two techniques used to assess the adhesion of drugs to carrier particles provide complementary information about drug/carrier interactions and detachment. The mechanical sieving allows to assess blend stability and the air-jet sieving makes it possible to determine how easily the drug separates from carrier. For the drugs tested, the results of fine particle doses are in agreement with the Alpine air-jet sieve results. The tests used are helpful for the choice of a new carrier in the field of the development of new carriers for dry powder inhalers. PMID:17113733

Carrier multiplication, the generation of multiple electron–hole pairs by a single photon, is of great interest for solar cells as it may enhance their photocurrent. This process has been shown to occur efficiently in colloidal quantum dots, however, harvesting of the generated multiple charges has proved difficult. Here we show that by tuning the charge-carrier mobility in quantum-dot films, carrier multiplication can be optimized and may show an efficiency as high as in colloidal dispersion. Our results are explained quantitatively by the competition between dissociation of multiple electron–hole pairs and Auger recombination. Above a mobility of ~1 cm2 V−1 s−1, all charges escape Auger recombination and are quantitatively converted to free charges, offering the prospect of cheap quantum-dot solar cells with efficiencies in excess of the Shockley–Queisser limit. In addition, we show that the threshold energy for carrier multiplication is reduced to twice the band gap of the quantum dots. PMID:23974282

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We performed a prospective observational study in a clinical setting to test the hypothesis that prior colonization by a Staphylococcus aureus strain would protect, by colonization interference or other processes, against de novo colonization and, hence, possible endo-infections by newly acquired S. aureus strains. Three hundred and six patients hospitalized for >7 days were enrolled. For every patient, four nasal swabs (days 1, 3, 5, and 7) were taken, and patients were identified as carriers when a positive nasal culture for S. aureus was obtained on day 1 of hospitalization. For all patients who acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) or methicillin-susceptible S. aureus via colonization and/or infection during hospitalization, strains were collected. We note that our study may suffer from false-negative cultures, local problems with infection control and hospital hygiene, or staphylococcal carriage at alternative anatomical sites. Among all patients, 22% were prior carriers of S. aureus, including 1.9% whom carried MRSA upon admission. The overall nasal staphylococcal carriage rate among dermatology patients was significantly higher than that among neurosurgery patients (n = 25 (55.5%) vs. n = 42 (16.1%), p 0.005). This conclusion held when the carriage definition included individuals who were nasal culture positive on day 1 and day 3 of hospitalization (p 0.0001). All MRSA carriers were dermatology patients. There was significantly less S. aureus acquisition among non-carriers than among carriers during hospitalization (p 0.005). The mean number of days spent in the hospital before experiencing MRSA acquisition in nasal carriers was 5.1, which was significantly lower than the score among non-carriers (22 days, p 0.012). In conclusion, we found that nasal carriage of S. aureus predisposes to rather than protects against staphylococcal acquisition in the nose, thereby refuting our null hypothesis. PMID:26183299

The potential benefit of using a smoothing filter to estimate carrier phase over use of phase locked loops (PLL) is determined. Numerical results are presented for the performance of three possible configurations of the deep space network advanced receiver. These are residual carrier PLL, sideband aided residual carrier PLL, and finally sideband aiding with a Kalman smoother. The average symbol signal to noise ratio (SNR) after losses due to carrier phase estimation error is computed for different total power SNRs, symbol rates and symbol SNRs. It is found that smoothing is most beneficial for low symbol SNRs and low symbol rates. Smoothing gains up to 0.4 dB over a sideband aided residual carrier PLL, and the combined benefit of smoothing and sideband aiding relative to a residual carrier loop is often in excess of 1 dB.

The potential benefit of using a smoothing filter to estimate carrier phase over use of phase locked loops (PLL) is determined. Numerical results are presented for the performance of three possible configurations of the deep space network advanced receiver. These are residual carrier PLL, sideband aided residual carrier PLL, and finally sideband aiding with a Kalman smoother. The average symbol signal to noise ratio (CNR) after losses due to carrier phase estimation error is computed for different total power SNRs, symbol rates and symbol SNRs. It is found that smoothing is most beneficial for low symbol SNRs and low symbol rates. Smoothing gains up to 0.4 dB over a sideband aided residual carrier PLL, and the combined benefit of smoothing and sideband aiding relative to a residual carrier loop is often in excess of 1 dB.

The absorption of light by free carriers in semiconductors such as silicon results in intraband electron or hole excitations, and competes with optical transitions across the band gap. Free-carrier absorption therefore reduces the efficiency of optoelectronic devices such as solar cells because it competes with the generation of electron-hole pairs. In this work, we use first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to investigate direct and phonon-assisted free-carrier absorption in silicon. We determine the free-carrier absorption coefficient as a function of carrier concentration and temperature and compare to experiment. We also identify the dominant phonon modes that contributing to phonon-assisted free-carrier absorption processes, and analyze the results to evaluate the impact of this loss mechanism on the efficiency of silicon solar cells. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER award through Grant No. DMR-1254314. Computational resources were provided by the DOE NERSC facility.

Despite the common nature of group A streptococcal (GAS) infections, the carrier state of this organism is not well understood. In this article, we review the historical and recent research on the definition, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of the GAS carrier state. In addition, we outline trials of antimicrobial agents in the eradication of the carrier state and discuss indications for providing treatment to patients in the clinical setting. PMID:26625454

A scheme has been devised for processing large amounts of old thorium salts to obtain concentrated carrier-free /sup 228/Ra preparations. The process includes simple regeneration of the original thorium salt. The main stages in concentrating the /sup 228/Ra are precipitation and separation of thorium peroxide, isolating the radium with a carrier, ion-exchange separation of the radium from the carrier, and final purification by electrolysis. The /sup 228/Ra recovery is 70%.

We present a method for the frequency estimation of a BPSK modulated, spread-spectrum carrier with unknown Doppler shift. The approach relies on a classic periodogram in conjunction with a spectral matched filter. Simulation results indicate accurate carrier estimation with processing gains near 40. A DSP-based prototype has been implemented for real-time carrier estimation for use in New Mexico State University's proposal for NASA's Demand Assignment Multiple Access service.

Small scale irregularities present in the ionosphere can induce fast and unpredictable fluctuations of Radio Frequency (RF) signal phase and amplitude. This phenomenon, known as scintillation, can degrade the performance of a GPS receiver leading to cycle slips, increasing the tracking error and also producing a complete loss of lock. In the most severe scenarios, if the tracking of multiple satellites links is prevented, outages in the GPS service can also occur. In order to render a GPS receiver more robust under scintillation, particular attention should be dedicated to the design of the carrier tracking stage, that is the receiver's part most sensitive to these types of phenomenon. This paper exploits the reconfigurability and flexibility of a GPS software receiver to develop a tracking algorithm that is more robust under ionospheric scintillation. For this purpose, first of all, the scintillation level is monitored in real time. Indeed the carrier phase and the post correlation terms obtained by the PLL (Phase Locked Loop) are used to estimate phi60 and S4 [1], the scintillation indices traditionally used to quantify the level of phase and amplitude scintillations, as well as p and T, the spectral parameters of the fluctuations PSD. The effectiveness of the scintillation parameter computation is confirmed by comparing the values obtained by the software receiver and the ones provided by a commercial scintillation monitoring, i.e. the Septentrio PolarxS receiver [2]. Then the above scintillation parameters and the signal carrier to noise density are exploited to tune the carrier tracking algorithm. In case of very weak signals the FLL (Frequency Locked Loop) scheme is selected in order to maintain the signal lock. Otherwise an adaptive bandwidth Phase Locked Loop (PLL) scheme is adopted. The optimum bandwidth for the specific scintillation scenario is evaluated in real time by exploiting the Conker formula [1] for the tracking jitter estimation. The performance